#4 - Beware of shop scams.  

If you see a shop that is telling you to buy things for 1000 NP (and the items are really only worth 5 NP) and the shop claims that in return, you'll get secrets cheat codes or a fearie paint brush ... BEWARE, IT'S A SCAM!!!  If you buy from that shop, you'll probably NEVER hear back from them.  Meanwhile, you've already lost your money.   A good example is an email I got from (miss_marie_2001).  She sent an email that said:

ARE YOU TIRED OF BEING POOR? THEN BUY FROM MY SHOP
AND I'LL TELL YOU HOW YOU CAN MAKE MILLIONS!

Well, right off the bat you can't tell if it's a scam.  She could be a legitimate person that probably has a list of Internet sites that gives you hints on how to become a Neopian Millionaire.    So I got curious and visited her shop, she was selling things like scarfs and capri suns for 1000 NP.  You know that scarfs and carpi suns are NOT worth 1000NP. So is this person a scammer??  Perhaps yes, perhaps not.  But you'll DEFINITELY BE WASTING YOUR NEOPOINTS IF YOU BUY FROM HER SHOP!!!

I'm sure someone in Neopets will neomail abuse@neopets.com.  This is really a call for the Neopets Staff.  But if this person gives out ANY types of cheat codes or ways to sabatoge a game so that you earn money the cheaters way ... be prepared to lose your account!!!!  The Neopets Staff monitors EVERYTHING!!!

There are tons of Internet sites out there that gives you ideas of how to be a Neopian Millionaire WITHOUT CHEATING.    Cheaters NEVER win, they may earn lots of money at first, but things will always catch up with them at the end.  So DON'T be tempted to cheat!  You'll regret it at the end.  Shops like the above examples prey on Neopians who want to earn money the easy way.  So don't fall for it!!!  Earn NeoPoints the right way, and you'll appreciate the game much more.

The moral of the story is - "If someone is really willing to help you become a neopian millionaire, they wouldn't charge you for it!!!"  ~_^

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NEW SHOP SCAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   Scammers have now found a way to post a cheap price in the shop, but when it asks if to confirm the price, the price is at an outrageous price.   So beware, don't just click ok to buy unless you know how much you're really paying!!!

"I went to a shop and clicked on an item marked 100np. The notice came up saying 'Are you sure you want to buy this item...' and it said it was priced at 55000np or something outrageous like that! i don't know how they managed to do it but it nearly fooled me."  (Reported by Jo on 10/21/2001)

Shop Scam Case Study #1

This pyramid shop scam scheme is going around Neopets.  Should you choose to participate in this, beware that your account can be frozen. (8/8/2001)

"Make Thousands of NP in Less Than 2 Months! *~~ I had no idea that making money could be so simple. This really works and this is NOT A SCAM! I have been scammed before and believe me, it isn't fun. If you would like to know the secret to making thousands of Neopoints quickly and easily, make me one of your neo friends and send me any one of the following: a Codestone (any), a Faerie (any), a Map Piece (any), or a Paint Brush...You can ask me if I will except anything else. Once I recieve one of these items from you I will send you the secret ASAP(As Soon As Possible, but please be prepared to wait I am not on Neopets 24/7...believe me it will be worth the wait). *Guarantee* I guarantee the following: You have my promise that this is not a scam. I will send you the secret once I recieve your item. I don't blame you if you have doubts. This may sound too good to be true but I wouldn't go through the trouble if I didn't want to help you out. I bet your asking why I just can't tell you the secret. Well, I want to help you but I'd like to help myself too and think of it this way: If you send me one of those items, you will be able to buy as many as you like once you have the secret. I don't like to be scammed and so I WON'T SCAM."

If you send this shop an item, you will get the secret - which is to copy and paste this into your shop.  So not ONLY IS THIS A SCAM!!  IT'S A PYRAMID SCHEME SCAM!  This is totally against Neopets Terms of Service and thus be prepared to get your shop closed and account frozen!!!   I know it sounds good, but DO NOT BE DECEIVED!!  BE SMART!  Don't be a part of this!!!!!!!!!!!

Shop Scam Case Study #2

I heard that some people have placed coding into the "report shop" HTML to steal other accounts.  How did the scammer figure this out???  Well, as you all know that the Neopets Staff added the "Click here to report shop"  (I am using my own shop as an example)

Well, the scammers somehow figured out a way to add a special coding into their shop so that when you click on the "here" link to report them, it asks for your username and password.   DON'T FALL FOR IT!!!  Remember, Neopets Staff NEVER asks for your password.   The only time they will is when you login into http://www.neopets.com/

So BEWARE!   This is a VERY devious shop scam!  Report any shop that does this   immediately to abuse@neopets.com

If the "report shop" coding is true, it will NEVER ask you for a username or password.   It will just say, "Are you sure you want to report this shop?".  If you choose yes, then it will take you to a page that says, thank you for reporting the shop.  It will NEVER ask you for your password!!!  (8/9/2001)

Am I allowed a contest in my shop?

Unfortunately the vast majority of shop contests are scams. If any user wins a prize it is normally one of the shop owners other accounts. Because there is no real way for us to monitor if a contest is legitimate or not, we have decided to ban all contests. This is to protect innocent players that could be tricked into purchasing over-priced items. Apologies if you are a shop owner that ran a honest contest, but you should understand why we are doing this.  (Taken from the 8/17/200 Neopian Times)

So does this mean any cheap/bargain items I buy from a shop will be a scam???

No, this is not true.  Some shops really do sell legitimate neoitems at great bargain prices.  I've accidentally priced something for 5000 NP at 500 NP myself   because I accidentally left out a "0".  Yes, I hit my head against the my keyboard several times for making stupid mistakes.  Heck, I sold a cheese omelette for 10 NP when it should have been for 3000 NP, becuase I didn't do my research and realized that cheese omelettes are going for the 3000's.  But it's MY mistakes and I won't take it out on the buyer of my items. 

The key is as long as (1) you weren't taken to a Fake Login page (or ANY page that asks for your username and password) right after you bought the item, (2) you have received the item in your inventory, and(3) the proper amount of NP was deducted from your account, then you were not scammed.

A Neopian Shop Scam Experience

Here is a letter I received from a Neopian citizens account that was hacked into.  I normally don't put any personal experiences up on my site, but this letter contains a good message to all:

I was hacked. It was terrible. My 30,400 NPs down the drain. ALL because I went for a 3,000NP Fire Brush. But Who wouldn't? I didn't think I could get hacked. I didn't think it. I had no evidence it was,the person was straightforward and true. Then I entered the fateful shop. I saw the 650 faerie's,fire brushes,faerie brushes. Awww,I was in Heaven! I clicked on the Fire Brush,which i thought I could resell and get even more money. I wasn't into using it. I as in it for the NPs. But oh,that was the worst mistake in my life. DJVALLIER584919. I shall NEVER forget the name. The asshole who stole my precious NPS,and my account. THis shop is a scam,DO NOT enter it. I learned the hard way,and I have created a new account. I was WINNING the beauty contest,and now i'll never get my 10,000NPs. I will miss my 30,000NPs and I'm determined to get them all back. To show Neopia it can happen. To show the scammer,He CANNOT crush other people's dreams..... Kangaroospit2(Formerly Kangaroospit)

Added on 10/17/2001

Right click scams.

There's been a scam going around when people in the chats say that if they right-click and press "Open Link", then they will go to a Cheats page, but, the item with the so-called "Cheat Page" in it will usually be priced 50,000 or more, and everyone knows that if you right-click and press "Open Link", then you will end up buying the item. so...

Right click on 50,000 NP item + clicking "Open Link" on 50,000 NP item = BUYING that 50,000 NP item.

Added on 12/03/2001 (submitted by Magan)

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I would just like to point out to you and all other neopians that in a real, true shop, you can't right click at all; a box comes up telling you to use the left mouse button.  Added on 1/14/2002 (submitted by Mary Bell)

Join the Fight against Scammers!  Place my banner in your shop, pet's page, or website!!!