Introduction

Playing RuneScape can be great fun. You get to meet lots of new and interesting people, and some say it can even be educational. And the internet is a wonderful tool that can help you learn about all kinds of things, and explore subjects like never before. But did you know that there are hidden dangers you must watch out for? We all know that using the internet is almost like letting people we don't know enter our homes, and that we must all be careful about how we use the Net. But in addition to the usual internet dangers, RuneScape has its own hidden traps that you must be aware of before you start playing. Traps? Like what? Well, scammers will stop at nothing to get your RuneScape username and password. Why? So they can empty your character's bank. Stupid, we know, but it happens everyday. There are also some dishonest players that will try to trick you into giving up valuable items and such. No, they won't steal your password, but they are scammers too. You can have fun whilst playing, but you also need to be vigilant and pay attention to what's happening around you -- if you don't, you may get scammed or tricked into losing some valuable item(s).

This guide has been divided into three separate sections, which cover:

Staying Safe in RuneScape
The information in this section will help you recognize and avoid the most common RuneScape scams. You will also learn all about protecting your RuneScape account.

Staying Safe on the Internet
This section provides general information on how to stay safe while surfing the internet. Internet surfing can open a whole world of possibilities for you. You can learn about different cultures, meet new people and make new friends. But the internet can also expose you to many dangers. Learn about how to stay safe in this section.

Keeping your Computer Safe
Your computer is always at risk while you're on the internet. There are worms, viruses, trojans, keylogger programs, the list of potential dangers goes on. You have to be viligant about which sites you visit, and you must know what software you need to protect your computer. Learn what you should be doing to protect yourself in this section.

General Information
RuneScape and Jagex have a commitment to safety. They are constantly trying to improve their security and as a result they currently have Password Protected Accounts as well as a Bank PIN (Personal Identification Number) and Recovery Questions. It is in your best interests to have both a PIN and Recovery Questions, although neither is mandatory to play the game. To set your PIN go and talk to a banker in one of the many banks located around the RuneScape world. To set your recovery questions you need to log in to the secure section of www.runescape.com and click the set recovery questions button.

Jagex will NEVER send you ANY emails - EVER! Jagex will contact you through the message centre system on their website. Jagex will never ask you for your password. Ever. Not in an e-mail (and they don't even send e-mails, remember that!), not in-game. Even if you're contacted in-game by someone *claiming* to be a mod or Jagex Staff and they ask you for your password, do NOT give it to them. Ever! Even if they tell you that you will be banned or your account will be cancelled. Also, you should never click on a link in an email that *looks* like it's from Jagex. Remember, Jagex does not send e-mails! Ever!

Just because an email says it's from andrew@jagex.com or cutomerservice@jagex.com or something similar, does not mean it's actually from anyone who has anything to do with Jagex at all. Unfortunately, there are methods whereby users can pretend to be people they are not. This is known as "spoofing." Spoofers send e-mails to RuneScape players hoping to get you to go to a counterfeit RuneScape website. These sites are designed to trick you into giving out your RuneScape username and password. Some of these phoney sites can even have Trojan keylogger spyware hidden inside it. So even if you don't type in your password, you may have infected your computer with a keylogger just by accessing the counterfeit site. The keylogger will record your username and password the next time you log onto RuneScape and the next thing you know, you've been hacked. So what should you do if you get an e-mail from "Jagex"? DELETE IT!!!

Take a minute to think about how and when you use your password. The ONLY time you should use your RuneScape password is on the official RuneScape site. Nowhere else. Period. Never enter your password or recovery-questions into ANY website other than www.runescape.com or www.runescape.co.uk. And you should really have a separate password for any fansites you use, including RuneTips. Your RuneScape password should be different than all your other passwords, and should be used ONLY for RuneScape.

There are many RuneScape "fan sites" out there with only one intention in mind: to steal your password. Most players using a forum will either use their RuneScape username for their account name, or reveal it at some point on the forums. Just about anybody can set up a forum, and even make it look legitimate, but that doesn’t mean that it is safe to use the same password as you do for RuneScape.

Large legitimate fan sites, such as RuneTips, are often targets for people trying to find ways to steal passwords. Even if you feel 100% confident that a fan site is honest and safe, that does not keep you safe from whatever low-lifes may be targetting it. If by chance the fansite's password database is stolen, or even just a single user’s password is guessed and your RuneScape password is the same as your forum password, you are an easy target. So be safe. Make your RuneScape password unique. Do not use it anywhere else. And while you're at it, set your bank pin and put anything valuable in the bank when you log out.

Lastly, lots of people we know access the internet from computers other than their own. If you're playing RuneScape at a friend's house, Internet Cafe or library, you must take extra precautions to safeguard your RuneScape name and password. First, make sure nobody is standing behind you watching you log on! This is more common than you would know. And while you're playing, never leave your computer unattended while you are logged in. Always log off properly before you leave, even if it's only for a minute. Finally, know the risks. Sharing a computer is a great convenience, but you MUST be careful.

                              Common RuneScape Scams

Scamming in RuneScape involves one player cheating another player. This can be to get your items, or control of your character. What follows is list of the most common scams in RuneScape. Hopefully, this will help you recognize a scam when you see one -- and remember, if you're not sure about something or it seems too good to be true, it probably is! It's better to insult an honest player than to deal with a dishonest one.

Armour Trimming

Someone may come to you and offer to "trim" your armour. Don't believe them, this is a scam. It is impossible for a player to trim armour, and there is no skill that lets a player do it. Some players may try to convince you that it's a brand new members only skill -- don't believe them, there's no such thing. Trimmed armour can only be obtained from treasure trails, which is a members only Mini-Game. One of the rewards is trimmed armour, either plain or gold. But the armour comes that way, it cannot be made. You can buy trimmed armour from other players and you can wear it even if you're a non-member, but you cannot make it. Refer to our Treasure Trails Guide for more information on Treasure Trails and trimmed armour.

Password Blocking

Jagex has added a filter system into the game which will not let you type out your exact password into the textbox. If you try to type out your password into the chatbox, your entire sentence will not be displayed and a message warning you that your password was entered into the chatbox will instead be shown. Some players may claim that this system doesn't work and tell you to try it out. DO NOT test it out! If you happen to misspell your password it will be displayed, and the scammer may be able to work out from the mistake what your actual password is. Having your password as a random combination of letters and numbers (which you will remember!) would be a wise idea.

Don't worry.....JADEX has made an update that really blocks you password...but anyway....try not to write it

Trade Scams

Player #1 is buying a rune platebody. Player #2 accepts to trade and puts up a rune platebody in the trade window. Player #1 then puts up 80,000 gp. Both players hit accept, but Player #1 doesn't bother looking at the second trade window -- he's in a rush to get the trade finished. Both players accept immediately, and then complete their trading. Player #1 looks in his inventory only to see an adamant platebody. "Hey! Where's the rune platebody I just bought???" he thinks to himself. He looks up to find Player #2, but of course, he's long gone. Player #1 was just scammed. This is the most common scam in all of RuneScape. You can avoid becoming a victim by simply being patient and looking at the trade window. When you trade another player, a trade window will pop up. In this window, both players put up the item(s) to be traded. When both players click the accept button, a second trade window appears. In this window, you can see what is being traded, in WORDS (for example, rune platebody X 1). READ WHAT IT SAYS IN THIS WINDOW! This is your last chance to see if you're about to be scammed. If the item being offered is NOT what you bargained for, just click "Decline" and walk away. No harm done.

Gem Cutting

While doing business at any of the banks throughout RuneScape, you might notice players offering to cut other players' gems for free. While some honest players may cut gems for free to increase their crafting skill experience, many players are thieves who will run, teleport or log out the moment you hand over your gem(s). So unless a player offers to trade an already cut gem for your uncut gem, don't give your gems to anyone to be cut. We recommend that you raise your crafting skill levels and cut your own gems.

Wilderness Scam

You may receive a private message from another player saying that he/she would like to sell you something rare at an ubelievably low price. The problem? The seller wants you to meet him/her in Edgeville, right at the edge of the Wilderness. When you get there, you unknowingly step over the Wilderness boundary with all your money. You are then attacked by the "seller" or one of his/her friends. It is very simple to avoid this scam. First, do not trade in or around the wilderness or near Edgeville, and second, pay attention to what you're doing. When you're about to cross the ditch into the Wilderness, you'll get a warning message. If you ignore the message and keep walking, you're on your own. Don't say we didn't warn you! The addition of the Wilderness Ditch has made this scam much harder - requiring you to click it to cross into the Wilderness.

The Trust Test

Some dishonest players will ask you to prove how much you trust them before you can join a clan, group or receive some free item. You will usually be asked to give the other player some small item and then you will get it back. This is done to prove your trust. This scam always starts with a small item, then moves on to larger more expensive items. When the scammer gets you to trust him, that's when he pounces. Believe us, the last item you will ever offer him will be very expensive -- you won't get it back. You should never take part in any type of trust test. It will almost always result in you losing one or more valuable items. Never give another player an item that you are not willing to lose.

Rare Items

"Selling extremely rare swamp paste! Amaze your friends! Buy here!" Ever see something like that in a crowded marketplace? Honest players that are selling a truly rare item don't usually scream out that it's rare, they don't have to. The item speaks for itself. Before you buy ANYTHING a player claims is one-of-a-kind or rare, do your research. You'll probably find that it's not rare at all and that the player is lying. You can check our Rare Items Guide, or you can post an item to one of our forums. You should only buy a rare item if you know that it's rare -- santa hats and party hats are examples of true "rare" items. Being informed is your best defense.

German Servers

With the addition of the German specific servers, a new scam also became apparent. Sometimes players will offer to sell an expensive item for a lower price, but only if you come to their world. They will then say they are on a German server and tell you to log into it. When you meet them for the trade they will put up what appears to be the correct item, but, unless you know German, it may not actually be what it seems. For example, they could put up oak logs instead of yew logs and you would be none the wiser until you log back into an English server and by that time the scammer will be long gone. The easiest way to avoid this scam is to either not trade in German worlds unless your familiar with the language (know the difference between Eiche loggt and Eibe loggt?), or have a free translator handy.
How to Avoid Scams (and what to do about it!)

Players can easily avoide being scammed by following these points:

Take time trading. Observe the items the other player is putting up.
Never fall for the "trimming armour" scam.
Be wary of trades near Edgeville or the Wilderness.
Be wary of trades with people offering to buy for very high prices.
Be wary of trades with people selling items for very low prices.
Know the the market price of items involved in your trade.
Always look at the second trade screen.
And if it sounds to good to be true, it probably is. Just walk away!
So you've followed all these tips and still you've been scammed. What should you do? The only thing you can do is work to get the items you lost back. JAGeX will not give players back the items they lost. Many players turn to JAGeX when they get scammed. However, JAGeX will only say that there is nothing they can do. They do not give items back because people would take advantage of getting free items. If you get scammed, you should raise your skills to get money or merchant some items. In time, you will be able to buy new versions of the items you lost. One thing's for sure -- at least you will have learned a valuable lesson!