"So You Got A New Account", now in how2 form.
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Sometimes we go through inactive accounts looking for nice stuff that's been left and forgotten about.
Or sometimes you buy an account that hasn't been thoroughly checked, and you want a few pointers on what to do next.
Or, perhaps, you're picking up one of your old accounts to secure and sell!
And since some newer folks around here have been wanting a couple tips on what you should be doing, here's a guide for all that. :p
Obligatory disclaimer:
If you're going through accounts that aren't attached to your main, then use proxies or VPN to keep them separate.
And, if possible, keep track of which proxies / VPN locations are used for what!
I can't be responsible for not warning you, in the case of you going and doing something reckless. So please be safe!
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Securing Accounts
So you're always told to secure an account if you want to keep it safe in some sense.
And you should! Because there's always possibilities of database leaks that could contain the information you started with.
0. Keep a spreadsheet.
This is super important. It's tedious to store information in .rtf or .txt files, and you'll want to avoid using Google Docs or something else because they're only questionably private.
I highly recommend using (you need an account to see links) as your vehicle of choice here: it's a free Microsoft Word-mimic that can process spreadsheets and other documents.
Having all of your accounts and all of their information in a personal spreadsheet is a lifesaver for keeping track of your assets.
Use the first row to label the columns, maybe use the second row as a divider, and then start inputting information.
Have rows for username, password, PIN, email address, email password, item contents, currency contents, pet contents, and things like trophies, avatars, site themes and so on if those matter to you. I also keep track of what IP I use for that account, as well as what location that IP pertains to.
Be sure to record all changes you make in the process of securing accounts!
Also, you might also want to record what the previous email and password was, as well as any password/email that were used to create the account (if you have them), because those can be valuable when filing tickets. It's good to have as much information possible recorded and easily at your fingertips.
1. Change that password.
You got into an account, so clearly you already have the original password!
You'll want to change it to something complicated and nonsensical so there's no chance of it being manually guessed.
There's a lot of easy password generators on the internet that will randomly generate a string of letters, numbers and symbols for you.
Make a quick search or two and find one you like! Be sure to have numbers in there, though, since Neopets won't allow any passwords with less than 2 numbers.
And if you don't find a generator you like, you can always keysmash and use that as your password.
Just be sure that your password is a complicated, messy string that's at least 8 characters or more.
2. PIN everything.
Yup. You read that right. You want to implement a PIN and have it cover everything.
Between an inaccessible email account and an unknown PIN, an account can be impossible to do anything with even if you manage to break into it. So, under the pretense that there's either a. no PIN active, or b. there is one but you know it, you'll want to make a new one and have it protect everything the account can do.
Don't use the account's birthdate, birth year, or any numbers in its username/pet names. That's just too obvious. Use a random generator or keysmash it.
(And if you get into an unactive account but don't know the PIN... just ask around on here! Some of us might be able to help you out.)
3. Apply a nice, fresh email account.
Having access to a Neopets account's email address is basically having the keys to the safe already in your hand-- you can retrieve your PIN and password if you have access to that email. So, if this account isn't originally of your own making, you'll want to do this.
My first bit of advice here is to make an email account with a similar name to the last one, just so it's consistent. Secondly, don't make it (neopets username)@(email provider.com) unless that was already the case, because that's too obvious and typically you want to keep this stuff secret. Third, you want to make your email password just as jumbled and messy as your neopets password.
And lastly, be sure to find an email provider that doesn't periodically delete accounts or unregister old names, because that can be a very easy way to break into a Neopets account if you know its email! gmail.com is one example of providers that doesn't seem to do this.
4. Trim out all the Neofriends, Neomails, and pet-related content.
Whether you're in an account that's not originally yours, or if it's one of yours that you intend to sell, you want to remove all of these.
Neofriends can see the account online, and may be inquisitive if they see serious changes since the last time they saw the account; you want to avoid that, so remove all of them. Neomails aren't as big of an issue, but they may hold sensitive information or interactions from the past, so it's best to clear them out as well.
And finally, pet stories or artwork can give indication of the account-holder's identity or past interactions, so it's best to wipe those if any of those exist.
5. Move any items, pets, or currencies that you don't want in this account.
Because sometimes you don't want that 5mil pure on an account you're selling purely for the username!
You're looking to secure this account and let it sit, so don't forget to move things around as need be.
I can't give you all that much advice in this sense, since there's a lot of ways to move those things around. The most useful thing I can say is to keep it under wraps: don't use the trades to move around big-ticket items, and don't bring any pets anywhere onto the neoboards. Shops are great for transferring NP, but mind how much you move at a time, because larger amounts can be suspicious. Gifting items is discreet, but too many at once can also be suspicious! So just be reasonable and patient.
(And if you move items and NC items around, be sure to delete messages that the sender will get from them, just to protect where the stuff goes.)
6. And now you log out and let it sit!
Now that you've got all of the information changed + recorded, and you've moved whatever you've needed to move. So now what?
You log out of the account and let it age, like fine wine or cheese. If you've secured everything properly and nobody else tries to get into the account, then its days unaccessed will go up, and eventually it'll be "inactive", or otherwise just "Last seen: A long, long time ago".
(Unless it's Stealth!'d, which you might want to avoid for the sake of being able to see it's inactive.)
At that point, I'd say it's pretty secure and safe to sell, trade, or whatever else.
Around here, at least, you'll want to have accounts that aren't originally yours to be "Last seen: A long, long time ago".
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Finding $$$
Here's a quick checklist of places to look for interior value when going through an account!
Some of these are more obvious than others, but you'd be surprised where you can find valuable items.
0. The User Lookup
(you need an account to see links)[username]
It's a very easy way to get an overview of the account. Avatars, trophies and site themes are all displayed here, as well as all of the pets, the shop and the gallery.
Be sure to check the pets individually for petpets and p3s, too.
1. The National Neopian Bank
(you need an account to see links)
Well, that's where you store NP, right?
Easy access, easy to see everything in there immediately.
Always check here first to see how much pure is sitting around.
2. The Safety Deposit Box
(you need an account to see links)
It's the safe storage for tons and tons of items! So clearly there's going to be lots of goodies in here.
You could either manually go through it page by page, which will allow you to catch absolutely everything that could be valuable.. or you can search specific keywords or check certain categories.
Always have (you need an account to see links) up in a tab so you can price check things you're not familiar with or that you suspect is valuable!
These categories tend to commonly have valuables in them-- but don't check just them, because there's a lot of other rare valuables that aren't these types of items!
- Album Items: Stamps, coins and more. Nice stuff can be found here.
- Battledome Equipment: Not usually much in here, but sometimes. You're more likely to find valuable BD items equipped to a pet, but you never know...
- Books: Old, rare and retired books can be really pricy. Always take a look.
- Collectable Card: Not as much big-ticket potential as the Album Items, but some cards can get valuable. So always look.
- Magic Item: This includes morphing potions and transmogrification potions, which can range from very cheap to very valuable.
- Meridell Potion: Sometimes you can find stat boosters in here.
- Neocash: If you're into NC and NC items, you can sometimes find valuable items in the SDB instead of the Closet. This is where Basic Gift Boxes accumulate most of the time, and those are used to move NC items around, so you'll want to make a check for those.
- Paint Brush: Why wouldn't you look in here?
- Petpet: Lots of petpets are cheap, but some can get super valuable based on their rarity or demand. I've found a Meowclops in an SDB on an inactive account before!
- Petpetpet: Not the most common of items, but it's worth a look because many of them can get up into the millions of NP in value. Maybe you'll find a Mootix!
- Special: This includes lab map pieces and a whole bunch of other mildly valuable nonsense.
3. The Closet
(you need an account to see links)
While wearables aren't usually the most valuable items, it's definitely worth a glance to see what's in there.
Highly-desirable foregrounds and backgrounds can get up into the millions of NP, not to mention what NC goods you could find.
Be sure to check the items that are on pets, as well, since those don't display in the closet.
4. Equipped BD Items
(you need an account to see links)
If an account has trained pets, those pets might have valuable equipped weapons.
It's pretty simple; just go to the link and you'll be able to view the weapons on each pet.
5. Shop & Gallery
(you need an account to see links)
(you need an account to see links)
Don't expect to find anything too nice in an account's shop, even with the new 999k price cap. But you may as well take a quick glance, especially since galleries tend to be the place to accumulate a collection of themed valuables.
6. Plot Shops
(you need an account to see links)
(you need an account to see links)
(you need an account to see links)
(you need an account to see links)
(you need an account to see links)
(you need an account to see links)
(you need an account to see links)
Sometimes accounts have unspent plot points sitting around-- it's always good to check.
7. Inventory
(you need an account to see links)
Because, hey, maybe there's things in here too.
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And that's it! If you have any recommendations or if you have specific things that I missed, post and let me know.
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Originally Posted by jeromiz
(you need an account to see links)-) Absolutely NO requests of account hacking/compromising for any website.
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