[Scams] Scam types, and how to survive.

[ViND_]

Keylogging Scams

Here are a few tips to avoid getting keylogged.

First, what is a keylogger?

The keylogger is a program that records everything you write on your computer. There are several types of keyloggers. Those are the file, site and hardware keyloggers.


The file keylogger is put on files like videos and image files (.avi, .jpg files etc.). You get infected by getting the file on your computer or opening it. Those keyloggers are easiest to avoid in my opinion.
What you have to do is to scan every suspicious file you encounter.

Don't just take files from some random skype members or WoW players that told you ingame they have some "awesome guide" they want to share with you.

Don't EVER accept .exe files to be sent to you, and don't EVER download let's say the WoW Client from some site you are not very familliar with. Learn who you can trust.


Now, the site keylogger. You get infected by going into a site and/or clicking a button there. Most of the time there is a script that automaticly downloads the keylogger to your computer. You don't know the file that is downloaded so, unlike with the file keyloggers, you can't scan that individual file.

To avoid this, be sure to have an Antivirus of good quality and run a quick scan after every browsing session, and a full scan every night before you go to bed.


The hardware keylogger - this isn't really used in the internet. The one who uses it has targeted an individual computer. That's why you shouldn't log in WoW or your bank account from public computers like the ones you find in an internet cafe, unless you know the owners for example.


Some more tips: If you suspect you have a keylogger and you have a crappy antivirus that can't find it, you can trick the keylogger.


One of the ways to do this is to use backspace, space and other keys that most keyloggers don't detect.

For example, if your WoW password is avoidscams12, you can add let's say 345 and it will be like this: avoidscams12345.

Now you can click backspace three times and it will again be avoidscams12 but the keylogger won't have detected it.

Another way to trick a keylogger is to have your password in a text file and copy/paste it every time you log in WoW or anything else. That way the keylogger won't record it.

Phishing Scams

Phishing Scams are sites that lure you to a false site which you think is real and make you give away your account details without you knowing about it.

Examples for those are the WoW (Expansion Name) Beta Signup scam, the WoW Gamecard application scam, the WoW (Expansion Name) Collector's Edition scam and others.

Scammers try to make their phishing sites more and more blizzlike, but remember: The only TRUE information source that can tell you that there is now a Cataclysm beta stage is WORLDOFWARCRAFT.COM! Not h1.***********/lolscam or youtube.

There are also scammers that use an e-mail spiders to collect e-mails from WoW forum boards and sites and then they use a mass mailer to send the same e-mail to all of those people: An e-mail that tells them they have been chosen for a WoW Beta, or that they just got free gametime and all they need to do is "confirm" their account, etc.

Then they use HTML to cover their phisher's web address with something like worldofwarcraft.com/cataclysm/betasignup, but in reality, you are going to some host site like ripway or awardspace. Most people don't look up in their address bars and notice this because they are just excited they were "chosen for beta".

The e-mails you receive can be made to look like if they are from [email protected], but Blizzard will never ask for your password! They already know it! So that's how you will tell a phisher from a legit site.

There are also program phishers like the WoW GM hack. They work exactly like the site phishers, it's just that you enter your info in the program. Some people put keyloggers though, because you might enter false info first. That way the scammers still win.


Now, a reminder again:

There is no way you will get free gametime or a free WotLK Collector's edition! Nothing is free! You will just lose your account and gain nothing, that's all.

Youtube Scams

Those scams are the most basic and most known scams ever. Mostly idiots go for these, yet you still wonder how they are so "profitable"? Well the answer is that there are lots of idiots. As simple as that.


What is a youtube scam? Well, that's a video that tells you to send your account details to a false e-mail in return for free gametime or getting your character leveled up to 80 or gold or even expansion keys, while in reality it's all a lie (duh). It's impossible to generate gamecards or expansion keys. Most people say that they are ex-Blizzard GMs or whatever, but NEVER trust them.

Anyway, only idiots and people really new to WoW fall for a youtube scams. It's just so obvious.

Ingame Scams

Now, it's getting late in my time so I want to be a little quick and finish this.

The ingame scams are what you think they are - ingame scams.

Some people remove a number from the gold just before you click trade and that way get your item 10 times cheaper, scamming you.

Another ingame scam is my own invention - The Rick Roll scam. It involves betting lots of gold with a person saying that you can Rick Roll him in an hour without him logging out or going afk.

To protect yourself from this scam, don't answer or talk to the guy for an hour, but also don't put him on ignore.

To Rick Roll you, he will whisper you and immediately after that put /dnd on with the rick roll lyrics after /dnd.

It's a funny scam that most people don't think it works, but it does, and people don't expect it, so be careful.


Well, that's it from me. Will add something tomorrow when I wake up. New rules up so I wanted to make something different. Well, good night all.

[ViND_]

Ah, the thread finally got approved. Do you think I should add something?

[Ccopy]

There is loads of ingame scams, but this seems nice ! Good work

[ViND_]

There is loads of ingame scams, but this seems nice ! Good work

Well there are probably threads like this now, but I wanted to adapt to the new rules and have my own guide too so I made it.

I also wrote a thread about an ingame scam that is gaining popularity again, it should be approved soon.

[Ccopy]

Well there are probably threads like this now, but I wanted to adapt to the new rules and have my own guide too so I made it.

I also wrote a thread about an ingame scam that is gaining popularity again, it should be approved soon.

Alright, anyway +Rep for this guide useful to protect myself from scams.

[Trollin]

So you put all the topics in this section into one, eh?

[burton992]

Nice guide but a keylogger cant be added to a jpeg file of a avi file mosly just a exe files ect.. but nice guide none the less +Rep for the effort

[Trollblod]

Good work Jimei. Will come in handy

[faithzz]

Thanks for the guide. Nice work. Thanks.