Hello Whyville! Unfortunately, Whyville isn't a perfect town (don't worry, no towns are) and like most websites out there we have hackers and scammers. But what scams should you look out for in Whyville? I'm going to give you a list here.

If your account is lost and if you know who did it, 911 them. If it does happen, get the password sent to your parental e-mail adress or normal e-mail adress. Always put down a parental e-mail adress on registration.

Red Alert Scams!

These are scams designed to get onto your account. They are very dangerous.

1. Scam: Makeover/Salary/Free Whyville software that will make you popular/I can cure your Whypox -- Yes, no matter how glamourous it seems if you get someone going up to you and telling you that they will give you some glorious gifts, or fix your Whypox, they're trying to get onto your account.

Solution: If you get someone like this 911 them, there is not one person in Whyville who does this out of good will. Nice people, if they want to help you, will give you clams or face parts.

2. Scam: Your name's "happy" which must mean your password is . . . happy -- Please don't do this. If your password is something simple there's going to be someone out there who is smart enough to guess it. Scammers aren't idiots.

Solution: Your password should be a collection of numbers and words such as I8Like23The324Times (although that's probably too long).

3. Scam: Trust me! I'm from City Hall -- This is a very devious scam that can be used anywhere. Instant messenger, Y-mail or E-mail. A City Worker will never ask you for your password or any personal details. Whatever they say, whether it be they're installing a new Club Why 2 or whether your account will be banned if you do not send them that Y-mail, it's a scam.

Solution: If you see someone on Whyville pretend to be a CW, 911 them if they don't have a beanie.

4. Scam: I'm your friend, we can share accounts -- There are two things that people do with this. They start pretending to be your friend or even your girlfriend or boyfriend, or they are your friend already, a very good friend. What happens then is that they look up to you with Whyville-type puppy eyes and say "Come on, I'm your friend, you can trust me" and you get scammed into giving them your password.

Solution: Don't trust anyone with your password. There's only one person who should know your password and that is you.

5. Scam: I can't see my password can you? -- This is a scam where people go up to you and say, "Did you know that if you type your password with spaces in it it isn't shown, Look * * * * *," then the victim says their password without noticing that the scammer was typing in asterisks and you've just given them your password.

Solution: Again, never put your password anywhere except the login page. Which leads me to my next scam . . .

6. Scam: This is the real login page -- People will lead you to a website that will give you what looks like a normal Whyville login. What really happens is that your password is e-mailed to the person and they can get onto your account.

Solution: If you're not sure look at the address bar to make sure it says http://b.whyville.net/smmk/top/signinForm. If it doesn't don't believe it.

7. Scam: Change your e-mail, get clams! -- There are some people who will tell you that if you change your e-mail address from "Info Preferences" to theirs then something good will happen. They then go to "Forgot Password" and the "lost" password is sent to their e-mail.

Solution: Keep your e-mail your own and private. Never give out it's password and never change your e-mail to a public one.

8. Scam: It's ok if I take your e-mail password -- Someone will ask you for the password to your e-mail and then they will take the little link that can change you parental e-mail adress. When this is done you can't get back your account because the person will just keep changing your parental e-mail adress. They can also take any password reminders for any other accounts you have.

Solution: Don't give out a password ever! On that note, keep passwords different for everything.

9. Scam: Free account! -- The person will give you a free account and then when you've transported all your clams, they'll change the password to the one that they want, and you've lost an account! But here is the really bad thing, then they try the password that you changed for their account for your old account. If they get in you've lost two accounts.

Solution: First, have a different password for every account you have. Second, never trust anyone with a free account. They could be good but they might just be a scammer. Also don't have your different accounts listed in your address book, this could help the person grab hold of those accounts too.

10. Scam: (Yet to be proven of existence) Software: There is unfortunately hacking software which can get into accounts on loads of different websites. Most sites have prevention against it (Whyville the "30 Second rule") but unfortunately it's still there. Also, there are people who can "key log" which means that they can track where you're going and what you're typing to see what you're doing and what password you type in.

Solution: As scary as it may seem there's no solution to this one except to have a really detailed password. Also never reply to any scam e-mails, delete and/or 911 them immediately.

Orange Alert Scams!

These are scams that are designed to get face parts/clams out of you.

1.Scam: You live in my house . . .PAY UP! -- This one I've only just recently found out about. If you live in someone's house, you are not required to pay rent. There are people who say, "Okay, if you want to live in my house you have to pay." It's not right if people are forced to pay and threatened if they don't pay. The plot-owners get their houses for nothing, just remember that.

Solution: Ignore them, the worst that can happen is that you get thrown out of the plot that you're living in and move into someone else's plot (I'm sure if you ask my plot owner snikers00 (*sniX*) she'll give you a space).

2. Scam: I'm a newb . . .give me clams -- Yes, there are the unfortunate people who pretend they're Newbs to get lots of clams. Sometimes they're just an Oldbie on another account, sometimes they're the person you just gave clams to under a different name.

Solution: Be vigilant, if you suspect someone is just trying to get clams from you and really has a 132 salary then just say "Sorry, I can't give you clams."

3. Scam: You do want a Why-Pass, don't you? -- This mostly worked with the Lifetime passes but could still work for Month and 8 monthers. People say that if you give them a certain amount of money they'll give you a Why-Pass. This works for a lot of people becasue a Why-Pass is so high in demand.

Solution: The cost may be too much for you but only get a Why-Pass from the Whyville Store.

4.Scam: My trading post doesn't work, we can trade via clamgram! -- What people do is that they ask you if you want to trade and then they tell you that their trading post doesn't work. After this they tell you that if you send them the clams for a certain part first then they'll send you the part. They keep the clams and don't give you the part . . . or vice versa.

Solution: You should only trade with people via Trading Post.

5. Scam: City Hall is running out of clams and parts! -- There are some people who will tell you that City Hall is running out of clams and parts, but the thing is, they make the clams and parts. You'll send the clams and face parts to an account which would be a "donation" account to City Hall and they'll get some extra clams but City Hall won't be any richer or poorer.

Solution: Check their head, if they're a City Worker they'll be wearing a red beanie with a blue propellor and yellow letters saying "CW" on them. But City Workers would never ask for this so don't worry.

There are many other annoying things (not scams) that happen in Whyville but those will have to wait until another day.

This is Cobd . . .

Author's Note: Thanks to the Whyville Times Archives!