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

Fake RuneScape Emails and Instant Messages (Phishing) How to Improve Your Account Security

Another important way that scammers will attempt to steal your password is through RuneScape-related scam web sites. There are several different types of scam sites, each of which poses a different risk to your account. What they all share in common is the danger they pose to your account if you even visit them.

Naturally, these scam sites are closely connected to third party programs and fake emails, because they are often used together. For example, many people are led to scam web sites by emails that sound “official” or helpful, and scam sites also often contain malicious third party software. In general, the best way to avoid ending up on a scam site is to be careful to avoid falling for bogus email schemes. Also never follow any Web links you might see mentioned within the RuneScape game itself.

Here are the four most common types of scam web sites you may encounter:

• Counterfeit RuneScape Sites: These are sites that are set up so that they look like the real RuneScape site, www.runescape.com. The scammer will trick you into visiting the site, usually by embedding a link in an email or another web site that appears to go to the genuine RuneScape site, but actually goes to a site the scammer created.
  
  
• Fake RuneScape Servers: Rather than trying to duplicate the real RuneScape web site, these sites pretend to be “secret” RuneScape sites that are run by Jagex, but which others don't know about. Some examples include claims that the site is a newer version of RuneScape (“RuneScape 3”), staff-only forums, test sites for new enhancements and so forth. None of these exist—they are all scam sites!
  
  
• Malicious Fan Sites: There are many legitimate RuneScape fan sites, such as Tip.it, Rune HQ and others. However, there are also malicious “fan sites” that exist solely for the purpose of trying to get you to reveal your password. Fan sites can be both informative and a lot of fun, but you need to do your homework and make sure you are visiting a reputable one, because not all of them are.
  
  
• Cheat Sites: These are sites that claim to be able to help you cheat in the game, either through “cheat codes” or third-party “cheat software”; I illustrate an example in Figure 113. As with every other case where someone claims to help with cheating, this is an automatic sign of someone who is trying to scam—there are no cheats in RuneScape.
  

  Figure 113: How to Waste Money and Get “Hacked” All in One Easy Step...

  This is an example of a Web site that is claiming to sell “cheat” software that will raise all of your character’s levels to 99. It seems very convincing, with a “video that shows runescape.com on it” and a “money back guarantee”! Wow! J Well, anyone can make a video show whatever they want—I watched it myself and it only shows a guy standing there and his stat numbers magically change, which anyone can do with a video editor—and a money back guarantee is worthless when it comes from a disreputable company. Don’t be fooled into losing your money and your account!

  
  

The risks to you from these sites come in two main forms: password stealing and malware. Places posing as legitimate RuneScape sites will prompt you for your user name and password, but if you enter them, they will be given to the scammer who runs the site. Cheat sites and fake servers will probably instead provide links to what they claim to be valid third-party software, which will actually contain a keylogger or other bad program.

Scam sites can potentially cause even more damage, especially if your browser is not up to date on security fixes. In certain cases, you could actually get infected by a keylogger even if you don't explicitly download anything! There are also sites that will install spyware or adware, change browser settings, flood your PC with popup windows, and wreak havoc in other ways—all just by visiting them.

The only type of RuneScape-related third-party site you should visit is a legitimate fan site. Remember that trustworthy fan sites not only will never ask you for your RuneScape password, they will warn you to use a different password when you sign up with them. Heed this advice! Even if the owners of a site are entirely honest, accidents with security can happen that result in passwords being compromised. In fact, this has happened in the past.

Fake RuneScape Emails and Instant Messages (Phishing) How to Improve Your Account Security