TruthScape.com  9  The Truth About RuneScape Account and Password Scamming and “Hacking”       9  Common Ways Players Get “Hacked” Outside the RuneScape Game

Buying Accounts, Items or RuneScape Gold for Real Money Using Shared or Public Computers

Your password is the key—literally—to your account. If you choose a password that is easy to guess or figure out, then you greatly increase the chance of your account being stolen. Unfortunately, many RuneScape players don't have good passwords, either because they don't know how to choose one, or they aren't willing to make the effort.

A good password should be a string of letters, numbers and other symbols that you can memorize without too much difficulty, but that is complex enough that others cannot guess it or figure it out easily. If you aren't sure of how to select a good password, I have a nice guide to password selection for you, right here on TruthScape.

Once you do know how to select a good password, use it! I can't emphasize enough to you that you should not skimp on taking the time to choose a good password. Don't be lazy and just use the name of your girlfriend or your pet hamster or your phone number—people lose accounts using those sorts of insecure passwords.

Of course, having a strong password does you no good if you accidentally reveal it, and that's what some RuneScape players do by failing to keep their passwords secure. Your password is an important secret and must be treated carefully, like any other secret.

Here are some of the most important tips to proper password management:

• Don't Write Your Password Down: An easy way to compromise your password is to write it down and then have someone else see it. If you can't remember your password then, by definition, it's not a good choice—change it.
  
  If you really feel you need to write your password down and that making a more memorable one isn't possible, then at least be very careful about where you record it. If you are a child or teen, consider giving it to a parent for safekeeping.
  
  
• Watch Your Keyboard: You'd be amazed at how many people have their passwords stolen simply by others watching them type. If you have friends or siblings or roommates who are watching you log in, you have every right to insist that they not watch when you type your password. Exercise that right!
  
  
• Use a Unique Password for RuneScape: You should never use your RuneScape password on other sites. That's true even of trusted sites—even if the site's owners are honorable, security breaches and mistakes happen. Especially, do not use your RuneScape password even on fan sites where you use your RuneScape name as a login.
  
  
• Change Your Password Occasionally: It's a good idea to change your password once in a while.

Of course, you should also not reveal your password voluntarily to others, even close friends. And also watch out for the hazards in using shared and public computers, which we'll discuss in the next topic.

Buying Accounts, Items or RuneScape Gold for Real Money Using Shared or Public Computers