The term "hacking" needs to be cleared up. No one has EVER HACKED into the neopets website. Yes, there are bugs in their servers and databases, but no one has EVER HACKED into their database.

There is a BIG BIG BIG difference between HACKING and MANIPULATING HTML coding. Just like there is a BIG difference between telling a lie and stealing.

Manipulating HTML is done OUTSIDE of neopets. It is because Neopets GIVES US the abilities to CUSTOMIZE our pet's pages and shops that gives us all this problem. IF neopets BANNED all customization, there would be NO stealing of accounts in Neopets.

Also there are some really naive players out there. They get fooled and tricked into scams. Just like someone was probably stupid enough to spend 500 NP at a chance to win a codestone. Yes it's bad to scam people, but that happens in real life as well. Why do you think there are lawsuits all the time??? It's because people are busy scamming other people for REAL money.

So the only thing is to be SMART and DON'T FALL for scams. Don't get tempted into sending someone your Neopets username and password just so you can get 1 million NP. DON'T BUY expensive neoitems for a chance at a contest. Keeping your account safe is up to you.

Now if someone HACKED into the Neopets database, ALL OF OUR ACCOUNTS WOULD BE GONE. If someone HACKED into the Neopets database, it means they would have stolen ALL our usernames and passwords. HACKING means someone physically got into a database. It's not just manipulation, it's PHYSICAL access to a database and its contents. For example, someone HACKED into another person's website and CHANGED the front page into a porn page. That is consider HACKING cause they got INSIDE the database.

NO ONE has ever HACKED into the Neopets database. So PLEASE be careful how you use the word "hacking". It takes a lot more brains to HACK than it does to SCAM.

Case Study #1 - Danger of Yahoo & Hotmail

Beginning in late December 2001, a group of people have figured out a way to gain access to neopets usernames and passwords through use of the "forgot password" box. 

Many of these hackers target people with nice gallery accounts.  They enter their username into that box several times.  Then they sit and wait to see WHERE the Neopets autoresponder sends that email.  If that email gets sent to a Yahoo or Hotmail account, then the hacker can easily gain access to the Yahoo or Hotmail email accounts and gain the username and password to the Neopets account too.

No one really knows HOW they are accessing people's yahoo or hotmail accounts, but there seems to be security flaw in those type of accounts.  Some people believe it's the ability of yahoo and hotmail to let people access those accounts via pop accounts.  But this is all speculation. 

However one thing is true, several people have lost BOTH their Neopets AND Yahoo or Hotmail accounts via this method.

So it HIGHLY recommended that ANYONE with a hotmail or yahoo mail account SET as their email address in their Neopets account to change it to another SAFER email account. 

This is only a recommendation.   The choice is up to you.  But please be aware of this hack.  Also if you notice SEVERAL password reminder emails sent to your inbox AND you know that it wasn't YOU that requested them, it's a SURE sign that SOMONE is trying gain access to your neopets AND email account.  At this point, CHANGE your EMAIL address at Neopets ASAP!

Please be sure to immediately email abuse@neopets.com if you experience password requests issues.

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