Tips to secure your account

By EchOw, 26th June 2021 09:22:25
2


HellOw!

Losing horses, items, resources, or even your account…these are the terrible consequences of phishing.

What is phishing and how can you prevent it? We will address these questions here, to help you protect your Howrse account from the practices of malicious individuals.

For those in a hurry, here's what to remember:

To protect yourself from phishing (account and personal data theft):

First of all, remember to NEVER give out your password to anyone. Moderators, admins or Owlient staff will NEVER ask you for your password.

- Use a password specific to Howrse that you aren’t using anywhere else
- When you receive a private message, check who the sender is and if there is a link in the message. See below for what questions to ask before clicking on a link. Private messages from the Howrse team appear in the "Official" tab.
- Never give out your password.
- When in doubt, do not click on the link and report the message through the related reporting tool or contact our Customer support team

Want to know more? Continue reading...

What is phishing?


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This is a fraudulent practice of sending messages intended to deceive an Internet user.
The perpetrators send messages with tempting offers to encourage Internet users to communicate their identifiers (login, password) and personal and/or banking information by posing as a trusted person in order to strip them of their accounts.
They invite you through a form, a Flashcode or even a site similar to Howrse.

Better be safe...


1. Use a unique password on Howrse


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Do not use a password that you are already using somewhere else, for example to connect to your e-mail.
The password should not include your player name, the name of your favorite horse or any other easily identifiable element.
If the thief obtains your e-mail address and password, they can try to connect to your other accounts (Mail, Paypal etc.)


2. Do not divulge personal information


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Make sure you don't put personal information on the forums, your page or anywhere on the game (name, first name, e-mail address, where you live, etc.)


How to protect yourself from this?


1. Be on your guard if you are offered attractive but suspicious offers or if someone threatens you (with a warning, karma withdrawal of karma or ban for example)

Account thieves hook their victims with:


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- a copy of a contest organized by Owlient (Tombola, lottery)
- Free Passes or Divine horses (if it’s free, it’s probably too good to be true)
- a vote for the next divine or for the Black Pearl
- a problem on your account (intervention, warning and threat of ban)
The list is not exhaustive and thieves can be very creative.


2. Pay attention to external links and always check our forum communications and in-game offer inserts.

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When you click on a link, a warning message appears, take a few minutes to check if it is a secure link.
Official communications appear in your private messaging via the "Official" tab.
When in doubt about a link, do not click.
Report private messages using the tool available in the game.


How do they operate?


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The thief contacts you in-game by a private message or on the forums.
The thief can pose as part of the support team, as an Owlient employee, or even use the account of a friend they have previously stolen.
They will try to lure you into their nets with particularly tempting offers, a threat of account closure or any other technique that could deceive your vigilance or scare you.
They will send you by PM a link, a QR Code or ask you to search for information on a search engine as "good faith" (for example : "if you don't believe me, look at xxxx on google you will see") .
The site or the form on which you will arrive will ask for your identifiers (username and password).
Once the information is submitted on the site, the thief recovers it and will be able to connect with your identifiers and rob you of your horses, Divines, Passes and Equus. They can also use your account to attract other players, including your friends. You risk a double penalty by seeing your account sanctioned for phishing as well.
Phishing PM Example "Hello! You have been selected by the Howrse raffle. This raffle is organized by Owlient and rewards random players every month. Just scan the QR code that will be sent to you on the link to our form. You can fill out this form and access your winnings from a list of several rewards! Please do not hesitate to contact Owlient support or the account delivering this message to ask any questions. Goodbye."

Do you think you've been a victim of phishing?


If it has just happened, log into your account without delay and change your password. If you are successful in doing so and the security of your account is no longer compromised. However, please contact the customer support to advise of the situation and to make sure your account really is secure.

These tips apply to Howrse but not only.

The risk of phishing is everywhere: Phone, Email, Social Networks.

Sincerely,

The Howrse Team
EchOw
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By Retired breeder, 26th June 2021 09:30:57
3
Thanks, this was very helpful default smiley (l)
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