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First Step: Look At The Sender's User Name!

If the user in question is a true Gaia Staff member their user name shall be a color, not black. No users can change the color of their user name. Here is an example below:



As you can see the Gaia Staff's name is in a color whereas mine, a normal user's name is in the standard black. smile

Third Step: Watch How they Word the PM!

If the user says they are an Admin or Mod yet their name is Black and they have NO title under their user name. If questioned they may say they are new and have yet to get their name changed to is respected color. This is a lie. When a person is appointed to the Gaia Staff their user name is changed right away and their title is placed under the user name. Now, when confronted with this the person may snap and say they are telling the truth of being a new staff member or a friend of an Admin. These are still lies or if they truly are friends with a Gaia Staff Member then that still is no right for you to EVER give out your password, Date of Birth, E-mail address, or any of your information to ANYONE! Gaia Staff does not need your information. They already have EVERYONE'S information from the time you signed up so if they ever need to check any data they can easily do it without requesting any information regarding your personal data. smile

Fifth Step: Watch out for Copy Rights symbol!

If the PM is from a user pretending to be an Admin or Mod they will usually include this at the bottom or somewhere in the PM:


A true Gaia Staff Member's PM would not include that in the message. smile

Seventh Step: Reporting the PM

I know to most or some filling out your first report can be a bit stressful or hard as you don't wish to mess up. I shall walk you through it as I have been informed by others of how to fill one out. Below is a picture of the reasons and explanation for reporting a person which is listed at the top of the page after clicking Report PM:



Read it carefully. Once you have read the reasons and their meaning you look below that to see another option as shown below:



As with any report the reported file is given a number as would appear in where I have written the words The PM Number smile Now, click on the blue arrow.

Ninth Step: Adding Information

Now, once you have selected the problem reason now you may give additional information if you wish. In my opinion of view it may help better the understand of your reasons for reporting the PM as you are. I do not believe you may leave it blank and I recommend not leaving it blank as the more information you can provide the better chance you and other users have of being safe from that one hacker being reported. Shown below is the next step you go to:



It sits below the drop down menu, just click in the box then begin to type your reasoning out of why you are reporting the PM. smile We are almost done.

Eleventh Step: Submitting smile

The final step in the Reporting a PM smile Now, you simply look to the bottom of the page being under the Verification Code and click on the Submit Button.



Once you have done so it shall take you to a page thanking you and will give you a report number to keep for your records. I recommend you keep track of the number in case you must ever need it for any reason at all in the future. smile

There are other reports which I shall get to later on in this topic. smile I hope the posts above and before this help out any in knowing how to report a PM that goes against Gaia's rules.

This example of a newer way hackers are making PM's is coming from our dear friend Ms. Lusty 3nodding This person is a hacker and I show you the example and shall post below pointing out the ways that it is fake 3nodding If you get ANY PM's that are resembled to this or same context in anyway click REPORT PM and report the user for password phasing as that is what they are trying to do is to gain your password to gain access to your account, items, and gold 3nodding



First thing to watch for: This has the Copyright logos as I stated in earlier posts in this topic a true gaia admin or mod will never have that in their PM's or I am sure they do not 3nodding

Second thing to watch for: It is giving a time limit. A mod or admin will never give a time limit if they send out a PM to a person that has been reported as I am not sure if the truly send a PM to one they have a report on or if they just take of things and you find out on if you can access your account or not sweatdrop I have never been reported and hope never to be as I try to never break the rules.

Third thing to watch for: The user in this PM is using a scare tactic as they threaten that your account will be ban unless you reply answering the questions. Admins will never do this.

Fourth thing to watch for: This user is asking for personal information that gaia staff has said to never give out this information to anyone and the user asks for your information to be typed with a space between each letter which makes it easier for them to register the information I suppose. This is something a gaia admin or mod would never do.

Fifth thing to watch for: Near the end the user, I take it, tells you to not report the PM or give meaningless information. An admin or mod would never do this or any of this.

Sixth thing to watch for: At the end the user uses another scare tactic in threatening that your account will be deactivated if you do not reply to the PM and submit the information or submit the information to the e-mail address provided. Never go to an e-mail another user has provided or e-mail a user with an e-mail they provide as hackers have programs that can decipher your information by simply using your e-mail once they have it 3nodding

I hope all this information comes in handy in helping you all know how to look out for fake admins and mods who are simply trying to hack your account smile