Stolen Account

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PennyLane
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Stolen Account

Post by PennyLane »

I'm posting this right before leaving for work so it'll be short, but I need some help getting my neopets account back. I haven't logged on for a few months, and tonight my friend said something about neopets so I decided to check in. Well I saw that the active pet is not mine, so I looked at my user lookup. Someone got into my account and is actually playing on it. Some of my pets are still there, but with new backgrounds and clothes on. My plushie ixi is gone and I'm so freaked out by all of this right now that I'm completely drawing a blank on it's name. I traded for it not long before I stopped playing.

So what do I need to do to try to get this account back? I looked through the contact us page and couldn't really find anything. I know there used to be some kind of form where you had to give all sorts of information to prove account ownership, but I can't remember where that is. Even if I had that form I don't know if I would be able to figure it out. I don't remember things like what items were in my inventory, and who all of my neofriends are =-/
thelonetiel
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Re: Stolen Account

Post by thelonetiel »

Log into a side account (or make a new one) and go here. Fill out a new ticket ("Request Support" > "Submit a Ticket") under "Scammed?" I'd think.

If you don't log into a side account, it'll be much harder to track the progress of the ticket, which will update as it is assigned to a staffer and looked into.

As for remembering names, if you put pets into the Neolodge, you may be able to look at your email and see if you have any undeleted "Checking Out" messages from when they are released from the Neolodge.

Good luck, that's scary. =/
Fjorab_Teke
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Re: Stolen Account

Post by Fjorab_Teke »

Yikes! Best of luck!

(and it's a good reminder for me - and all of us - to save that kind of info)
PennyLane
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Re: Stolen Account

Post by PennyLane »

ooh checking my email was a great idea, and unfortunately now I found out that desiira the UC plushie ixi is now on a frozen account. I'm going to try filling out a ticket now and hopefully I have a chance at getting my account back. I just tried logging on again and see that my royalgirl chomby is now the active pet, so this person has logged on in the past few hours. Probably after getting the messages at THEIR email saying I'm trying to recover the password =-/
PennyLane
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Re: Stolen Account

Post by PennyLane »

Wow, i just spent about an hour filling out the form, and when I clicked submit I see my session has expired. I clicked back like the page said, to save the info, but the boxes wouldn't load. Time to fill it out again =(
Ailiel
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Re: Stolen Account

Post by Ailiel »

Oh no! That's terrible, I hate it when I read about this happening (and it does happen far too often, I don't know how they get into these unused accounts-- maybe it's just less of a chance of getting caught that way). However if the pet that has been removed from your account is now frozen, that's a good thing. People here have had TNT recover pets on frozen accounts for them after break ins; not so often with pets on an active user's account. So that's actually good news for now.

Just go through the channels to contact TNT and hope for the best. I know they want a lot of info, but who has time to update their recent neomails for goodness sake? I just keep all the pertinent information I can and all the codes for Neocash I've redeemed and hope I'll never need it.
PennyLane
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Re: Stolen Account

Post by PennyLane »

I just looked at my account's trades, the person is selling off my jhudora gallery =(


Ok I just submitted the form. I Found a list I was keeping of all of my avatars, in the order I got them so I pasted that into the last box asking for any extra info. Hopefully that helps my case.

*edit*
ugh this is so weird to me. when people get hacked doesn't the person usually just take their np and pets and run? This person is playing on my account, the pets all have NC backgrounds now and there is a new trophy that isn't mine.
Ailiel
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Re: Stolen Account

Post by Ailiel »

It depends. Since the account hadn't been logged in for such a long time, they must not have felt compelled to "take the money and run". I believe another member of this forum had their account broken into, and when TNT returned it to them, there were several items on the account worth multi-million NP. It seemed the scammer had used the account for storage.

If your account is old and impressive (and I remember you were an avatar collector, I think-- we helped each other with a few game tips at times!), it's possible that it was broken into through some vulnerability and then sold for money. Unfortunately for people who enjoy playing the site, there is a Neopets "black market" of sorts where neopoints, pets, items, and even whole accounts are sold for cash. Often this is the motivation for someone to break into an account in the first place. When real money is involved it becomes very tempting-- and the rewards are greater than you might expect. I admit I looked at a few of those sites out of curiosity after I heard about this-- not something I would advise doing without precautions. What I saw shocked me completely-- people managing to sell unconverted pets for upwards of $200, and this was several years ago. There were also advertisements without prices with accounts, touting things like stamp galleries, avatars, account age, etc. I wouldn't be surprised to see very old accounts selling for quite a lot of money.

I don't play other online games but I understand this problem exists for other games as well. I really wish Neopets had better account security, but they don't. I use everything they've got, have PINs everywhere, unique passwords, etc. and I don't feel safe. I'm not really playing actively at the moment but I still try and take the time to check on my accounts at least once a week and make sure everything is still there. I hate that I have to do this but if I ever do want to play more actively again, I would be devastated to have lost anything.

However I have yet to see someone with a stolen account NOT have it returned. Not always in the same condition. I think the odds are good that you will get it back, you just have to be persistent. Don't let them get away with this.
PennyLane
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Re: Stolen Account

Post by PennyLane »

Wow, I had no idea people were stealing accounts to sell. I do have a lot of avatars, 328, and a lot of nice game trophies so that's probably why the person kept the account. We did help each other with games =) You gave me some really good tips for faerie cloud racers that helped me get my trophy.

I really hope I gave enough information for them to see that the account really is mine. I could remember a few old passwords, and I knew the email address that was used for the account, as well as the address from before that. I'm also using the email that was attached to the account to contact them. I had a list on the computer of all of my avatars in the order I unlocked them so hopefully that helps. I have no clue what kinds of things they can check on an account so I gave all these random facts about it. What I used to feed kads, who I play keyquest with a lot, what game I got my first better than you trophy for playing.

I hate seeing this person sell off my gallery D= I really hope if I get my account back that my Woogi and Jimmy plushie set is still there. And that I can get Desiira back =-/

Oh, anyone know if TNT support works weekends, or do I have to wait until Monday to start hoping for a response to my ticket?
Marah
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Re: Stolen Account

Post by Marah »

Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that :( I hope you get your account back, but just expect it to take awhile. I hope your gallery will still be there.

Account hackers and scammers just make me itchy, little weasels, go play and earn your own stuff!
invaderhorizongreen
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Re: Stolen Account

Post by invaderhorizongreen »

Marah wrote:Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that :( I hope you get your account back, but just expect it to take awhile. I hope your gallery will still be there.

Account hackers and scammers just make me itchy, little weasels, go play and earn your own stuff!
i just hate that i have spent YEARS earning my np and then i see accounts that are multimillionaires in under 5 moths.

oh my i hope you get your pet back and all sorry to hear this. I am kinda worried about my account it is almost 9 1/2 years old now but i do not have much to show for it!
PennyLane
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Re: Stolen Account

Post by PennyLane »

Thanks everyone =) This whole thing is making me so frustrated. I wish I knew what kind of activity they can see while checking out my account, because I keep thinking of information I could give them that shows that the account is mine. The questions on the form don't seem like they would be very helpful. Like who are your neofriends. Well, I could tell them who some of my neofriends were when I had access to the account, but from logging onto sides I can see that the person has deleted my friends. Hopefully the fact that I attached a list of my avatars in the order I unlocked them, and a SS of emails from neopets including neolodge checkouts helps prove that it's mine. Can they tell if pets are painted or zapped? Because in the box for what pets did I create or transfer I gave tons of details about when I painted them. "This pet was a labrat for years before i morphed it and painted it this color, then it got converted accidentally so it was a labrat again until I morphed and painted it this other color".

*edit*
Now, they've pounded my chomby. http://www.neopets.com/petlookup.phtml? ... _Alysabeth I'm guessing pounded because her royal clothes are gone? I added that info to the ticket....but would it be better to wait and hope that TNT gives her back to me if I get my account, or should I contact the person who has her now and explain and hope they give her to me?
Kantark
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Re: Stolen Account

Post by Kantark »

Ugh, what a nightmare! I guess they figured the last seen was 'a long long time ago' so you weren't coming back, but still, to carry on playing with the account is pretty audacious. I have always failed to understand why some people get their kicks out of breaking the rules and ruining other people's hard work. I suppose they see games like Neopets as an easy target - they aren't going to get sued and nobody's going to come around in the middle of the night and break their nose. Good luck with getting the account back, hopefully when TNT swing into action the retribution will be swift :-)
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Marah
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Re: Stolen Account

Post by Marah »

The problem with possible retribution is that they only lose something that wasn't theirs to begin with...

I'm not sure neomailing the new owner of your chomby would help Pennylane. Your story might be true, but it could also be made up, so they could believe you, or think you are a scammer too. (sorry)
I don't think TNT will give her back to you, since even though she was never supposed to be pounded, her new owner might not have done something wrong. So even though they received "stolen goods" I think the chomby is his/hers now. (Somebody please correct me if I am wrong, but I seem to remember other people having these problems before.)
Seerow
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Re: Stolen Account

Post by Seerow »

Ash I am so sorry to hear this :( I should have checked into the account several days ago when I noticed your avatar had changed but I didn't really think anything of it. All your pets were still on the account then and I thought you were just wanting a change. Sadly I don't know what day this was and I didn't see any cause for concern, but several days ago at least.

I really really hope you can get your account back. Lord knows I know how hard you worked on your pets, gallery, avatars, and trophies. Seeing all that work go to waste would be horrible. Did they get into your other side accounts as well or just your main?
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