TruthScape.com  9  The Truth About RuneScape Account and Password Scamming and “Hacking”       9  The Basics of Account and Password Scamming and “Hacking”

“I Got Hacked!” - Really? What to Do If You Are Password Scammed or “Hacked”

There are two basic ways that an account scammer can get your password: either he tricks you into telling it to him (inside the game or out), or he uses some sort of technology to steal it from you. The most common method of stealing it is through the use of malicious software (malware), which refers to a broad class of software programs that are harmful to you or your computer.

With respect to RuneScape, the most important type of software that you need to be aware of is the keystroke logging program, or keylogger for short. As the name suggests, this is a piece of code that you install on your computer without realizing it. The keylogger intercepts all the letters, numbers and other symbols that you press on your keyboard, saves them in a file, and then sends the file to the scammer.

As we'll see in the subsection describing common ways that RuneScape players get “hacked” outside the game, scammers will try different ways of getting keyloggers onto the computers of RuneScape players. If you get a keylogger on your system you usually will have no way of knowing. Once it is running, if you log into the RuneScape game or use password-protected features on the RuneScape web site, the keylogger will capture your user name and password. The scammer can then use this information to steal your account.

It's important to remember, though, that a keylogger can't just “install itself” on your computer out of the blue. You will usually only get one by engaging in unsafe practices that put you at risk. We'll discuss these in more detail elsewhere in this section.

To help you in your quest for better account security (and overall computer security) you should also know about some other types of malicious software:

• Viruses and Worms: These both refer to unwanted software that spreads from one computer to another by exploiting security flaws, usually over the Internet. Some of these programs can cause serious problems on your computer.
  
  
• Trojan Horses: This name comes from the legend of the Trojan Horse, supposedly used by the Greek army during Trojan War to defeat the city of Troy. Greek soldiers were hidden within a large wooden horse that was presented as a gift to the city of Troy, who didn't realize its true nature. The horse was brought into the city; the soldiers jumped out during the night when all was quiet and opened the gates to the city so the whole Greek army could invade.
  
  In the computer world, a trojan horse (or just trojan) similarly refers to a program that a user downloads and installs, thinking it will be beneficial. In fact, it contains a hidden program that either destroys data or compromises security.
  
  
• Spyware: This term refers to a wide class of programs that run on your PC, collecting information about you without your knowledge or permission, which is then sent to others (often for commercial purposes). Various types of spyware can hijack your browser, change files on your PC, display unwanted advertisements to you—which appear to be coming from sites like RuneScape.com but are not—and can even lead to identity theft. (Note that technically keyloggers are also considered a type of spyware.)

All types of malware are, by definition, bad for your computer; if you suspect that you may have one, you should scan your computer for malware immediately (and regularly scanning to prevent malware is good practice too.) Some of these types of malware can actually cause a keylogger to be installed on your computer without your knowledge; some may compromise your system in other ways. In particular, trojan horses are commonly used to sneak keyloggers onto the PCs of RuneScape players. Scammers often lie about them being “cheats” for RuneScape or add-on programs to help you play better. They may also send them to you as email attachments or trick you to going to web sites where they may be downloaded without your knowledge.

“I Got Hacked!” - Really? What to Do If You Are Password Scammed or “Hacked”