Game, Set and Hack!

Fifteen million active free accounts and the number-one spot in the global gaming industry were enough to take this online game to pole position. But it's no wonder RuneScape is so popular. It's a high-voltage game, high on adrenalin and filled with dark adventure in the fantasy world of Gielinor.

Created in 2001 and operated by Jagex, RuneScape is a Java-based Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game that has even won acclaim from the Guinness Book of World Records.

But what's so special about an online game that makes hackers save their finest skills to circumvent the official rules and servers? What makes the RuneScape hack a menace to genuine players and a delight for the unscrupulous?

Well, the hacker doesn’t care about the game itself. All he or she cares about are the items in your bank. Items are what make the RuneScape economy turn and they can be collected in various ways. They can eventually be traded in for real money.

But in 2007, when the RuneScape economy threatened to spiral into chaos thanks to the millions and millions of dollars traded, Jagex introduced several checks and restrictions on the way items could be procured in the game and on trading them for real money.

What Hackers Want

This more than ever encouraged hacks to break into players’ legitimate accounts to steal their items. So just how do hacks get the better of players? It’s simple, really. They entice players to give up their passwords with the promise of offering what players covet most – items.

It’s the oldest trick in the book. Once you give up your password, you can say goodbye to all the items in your account. Remember, a RuneScape hack never means well.

Some hacks will lure you to downloading a "RuneScape hack". What usually happens is that you end up hacking your own account! That’s because you can’t change your character stats or duplicate rare items.

Should you come across a site that does promise you the moon, all it means is that it is trying to get you to download a RuneScape hack. The hack then installs a trojan in your computer and hacks your RuneScape account. What happens next is history.

How To Avoid Hacking

So how do you avoid falling prey to a hack? One, never, never part with your RuneScape password. It’s a recipe for bankruptcy. Second, never fall prey to downloading a RuneScape hack. These are just key loggers that will help the hacker steal your password.

Third, never type your password into any site other than an official RuneScape site. Many players type their RuneScape passwords into forums and clans and leave their passwords vulnerable to being collected by the site.

Another tip is choosing a password that is at least eight characters long and that includes both numbers and letters. This makes it difficult to decrypt and keeps it secure.

So instead of investing time and energy trying to find a shortcut to getting rich, why not strike it rich with a conscience? RuneScape is not the easiest game in the book. It takes time and loads of practice to excel at the game. And, hey, while you’re at it, have some fun too!