New Scam Warning!
Sun Jan 21, 2007 6:07 pm
Over at the neopian times writer's forum I read about this. Supposedly this happened to a member. I hope they can get the account back, but I doubt it.
If anyone offers you an "award"..a sprite..a picture or anything, upload it to your own place. Don't allow others to hotlink for you. There are people who will offer you a picture and then they will change the picture to something very nasty and inappropriate. Neopets doesn't care and they WILL FREEZE YOU and it might not even be your fault. But if someone reports you for having a dirty picture you WILL get frozen regardless. The person who gives you the picture might also be the same person who reports you. Don't fall for it. If anyone has given you a picture take it down now!
If anyone offers you an "award"..a sprite..a picture or anything, upload it to your own place. Don't allow others to hotlink for you. There are people who will offer you a picture and then they will change the picture to something very nasty and inappropriate. Neopets doesn't care and they WILL FREEZE YOU and it might not even be your fault. But if someone reports you for having a dirty picture you WILL get frozen regardless. The person who gives you the picture might also be the same person who reports you. Don't fall for it. If anyone has given you a picture take it down now!
Sun Jan 21, 2007 6:17 pm
I think I've read about something similar before....you'd really think that people would have much better things to do with their time.
Seriously, somebody should tell them to just get a life. And maybe get their head checked if they genuinely get a kick out of getting people frozen on an online game.
Seriously, somebody should tell them to just get a life. And maybe get their head checked if they genuinely get a kick out of getting people frozen on an online game.
Sun Jan 21, 2007 6:20 pm
Yeah, Mkrow's right.
That's why I've always uploaded my pictures, regardless.
For people who are hunting for a picture host, I like TinyPic the best. Photobucket's really good too.
That's why I've always uploaded my pictures, regardless.
For people who are hunting for a picture host, I like TinyPic the best. Photobucket's really good too.
Sun Jan 21, 2007 6:22 pm
Yeah photobucket is what I use, when I want to upload a picture. If you have any awards or sprites you'd like to keep, then that would be the way to go. And if whoever gave you the award or sprite or picture objects to you reuploading it, then it isn't worth having anyway.
Sun Jan 21, 2007 6:27 pm
Uploading to your own server is the polite thing to do anyway, regardless of the "awarder's" motives.
Sun Jan 21, 2007 7:12 pm
This also protects you from harmless pranks as well as malicious activities. There was a thread a little while back about this, but it had retired on to the second page. Please don't post in it and revive it because we have this one, but if you want to read it, it's here.
Sun Jan 21, 2007 7:20 pm
This doesn't just apply to Neopets. There are lots of people out there who host pictures, then when somebody leeches it into their myspace for example, the original host changes the image to whatever shocking image they please. And really, they have every right to do so. It's their bandwidth.
Lesson: DON'T LEECH. EVER. ANYWHERE.
Though I guess if someone on Neo is giving you a big block of code to an "award" and then changes the image, that's a bit rude...
Lesson: DON'T LEECH. EVER. ANYWHERE.
Though I guess if someone on Neo is giving you a big block of code to an "award" and then changes the image, that's a bit rude...
Sun Jan 21, 2007 9:17 pm
Also I wanted to tell people if anyone says "Go look at this certain certain lookup" don't go. You may be curious, but if what everyone is saying about the content of those images is true, even having that on your computer could be a federal offense, if it shows something illegal happening with a minor.
I don't know the username and I don't want to know it.
I don't know why anyone would WANT to look, but since I have posted about this on the neoboards, I've had people asking me "What username are you talking about, where can I go to see this?" which is creepy that someone would want to see it...
still..if anyone tells you the username don't go...
I don't know the username and I don't want to know it.
I don't know why anyone would WANT to look, but since I have posted about this on the neoboards, I've had people asking me "What username are you talking about, where can I go to see this?" which is creepy that someone would want to see it...
still..if anyone tells you the username don't go...
Sun Jan 21, 2007 10:24 pm
This isn't a rumor, it happened, and I saw it happen to 3 people. Luckily they have gotten their accounts back.
This isn't a matter of stealing someone's bandwidth, that would be understandable. Of course the images replaced are not understandable under any circumstances.
The way this worked was there were 2 people who for whatever reason were out to "get" certain people - yes, they were targeting specific members. I don't know for sure, but either they had accomplices or they were using multiple accounts.
Anyway, they would neomail so and so, say they got an avi or font award and to get the code. Said person, not thinking there was anything wrong, would c&p the code/image on their petpage, etc. Then the perpetrators would change the image to something awful. Just to get people they don't like frozen. And it worked, at least temporarily.
So, please do host images, awards, etc. yourself. I'd also suggest not using the same email and password for your hosting, as there was a particularly nasty incident involving an innocent user and someone getting into their image host and changing images.
This isn't a matter of stealing someone's bandwidth, that would be understandable. Of course the images replaced are not understandable under any circumstances.
The way this worked was there were 2 people who for whatever reason were out to "get" certain people - yes, they were targeting specific members. I don't know for sure, but either they had accomplices or they were using multiple accounts.
Anyway, they would neomail so and so, say they got an avi or font award and to get the code. Said person, not thinking there was anything wrong, would c&p the code/image on their petpage, etc. Then the perpetrators would change the image to something awful. Just to get people they don't like frozen. And it worked, at least temporarily.
So, please do host images, awards, etc. yourself. I'd also suggest not using the same email and password for your hosting, as there was a particularly nasty incident involving an innocent user and someone getting into their image host and changing images.
Sun Jan 21, 2007 11:55 pm
What a pathetic scam. Thanks for the heads up anyways
Mon Jan 22, 2007 12:15 am
I'm a supporter of people doing this when someone is stealing their bandwidth, even if they are doing it over Neopets. A lot of people pay for their bandwidth and having someone steal it DOES cost them money. People on Myspace and younger Neopets users especially love to just hotlink images and not reupload them.
Doing it just to get people frozen is a waste of time since they can get their accounts back anyway.
Most of the time I see people asking because they want proof that the person posting isn't just out to get the user. It happens a lot on the HC so people are cautious about people "warning" users about other users. They'll actually report the person warning them for anything from spam to harassment if they don't post links.
Doing it just to get people frozen is a waste of time since they can get their accounts back anyway.
I don't know why anyone would WANT to look, but since I have posted about this on the neoboards, I've had people asking me "What username are you talking about, where can I go to see this?" which is creepy that someone would want to see it...
Most of the time I see people asking because they want proof that the person posting isn't just out to get the user. It happens a lot on the HC so people are cautious about people "warning" users about other users. They'll actually report the person warning them for anything from spam to harassment if they don't post links.
Mon Jan 22, 2007 1:09 am
Nefasturris wrote:I'm a supporter of people doing this when someone is stealing their bandwidth, even if they are doing it over Neopets. A lot of people pay for their bandwidth and having someone steal it DOES cost them money. People on Myspace and younger Neopets users especially love to just hotlink images and not reupload them.
Doing it just to get people frozen is a waste of time since they can get their accounts back anyway.
I agree, to an extent. I don't think it's right to change the image to something inappropriate, though, no matter what.
Mon Jan 22, 2007 1:19 am
is there an exception with leeching from Neopets itself? this appears to be a appears to be practiced by everyone who has a fan site actually, so i'm curious on the thought.metalmario wrote:This doesn't just apply to Neopets. There are lots of people out there who host pictures, then when somebody leeches it into their myspace for example, the original host changes the image to whatever shocking image they please. And really, they have every right to do so. It's their bandwidth.
Lesson: DON'T LEECH. EVER. ANYWHERE.
And i was actually wondering about something like this myself a few days ago. makes me glad to know i have a photo bucket account. Remember everyone: only image link from websites you know and can trust.
Mon Jan 22, 2007 1:35 am
Jacob wrote:is there an exception with leeching from Neopets itself? this appears to be a appears to be practiced by everyone who has a fan site actually, so i'm curious on the thought.
And i was actually wondering about something like this myself a few days ago. makes me glad to know i have a photo bucket account. Remember everyone: only image link from websites you know and can trust.
IMO, absolutely NOT. You are stealling neopets' bandwidth just like you would be stealing anyone elses. If you want to use one of their images you should move it to your server (save it and re-upload it) and of course also properly credit any image that is not your work.
Mon Jan 22, 2007 1:35 am
I just thought that people could change your MP3's around too. I don't bother with wav or MP3 anyway. I had some sound on my krawk's homepage and it quit working for me for some reason. I can't figure out why, though. But I don't really have to have the sound there. And I don't really like sound on a shop or lookup much anyway.