- Internet & Account Safety Guide -
WARNING: Vague mention of heavy/sensitive topics ahead! ​

Hi everyone! With the unfortunate rise of scams, hackings and other malicious activity taking place on the internet and within the Skyblock circles I wanted to put together a guide with tips and tricks to keep yourself (and your accounts) safe while online!

I wanted to preface this by saying that internet is an amazing place and I've met so many incredible, kind people on here. Unfortunately though, there will always be those that ruin the experience for everyone. Please note that this thread is not intended to fear-monger, rather, it is meant to be informative and beneficial to those who want to practice better internet safety skills.


My guide has four sections which cover the topics of Discord, In-game/Skyblock, Forums, and other Misc Social Media. If you have any feedback/suggestions for what else I should add, feel free to leave your comments below or DM me directly on Discord (bree__) thank you!​

<> Discord <>
Discord is a commonly used and well-known platform I’m sure nearly all of us have used. Unfortunately, Discord is also where a number of scams/nefarious activities take place. Read below for suggestions on how to keep yourself safe while still having fun on the diverse network that is Discord!​

How to Protect Yourself

• 2FA: Enable 2FA (User Settings -> My Account -> 2 Factor Authentication (2FA for short)). This will require you to do an extra verification step using an authentication app on your mobile device when you log into your account that will help deter any unwanted individuals from accessing it.
• Back Up Codes: Save your back up codes in a secure place. “Back up codes” are codes you’re given when you enable 2FA to be able to access your account if you cannot complete 2FA or if Discord needs to verify who owns the account. Always store these in a place easily accessible in case of emergency.
• Passwords: Construct a long and unique password that contains multiple letters, numbers and symbols for your account. A strong password is essential for internet safety. Never re-use the same password on multiple accounts and don’t make it easy to guess (eg: birthday, name of a pet etc). Make it truly unique and unguessable for others.
• Fishy Offers: If you ever get a message or see a message from someone that sounds fishy or too good to be true, it probably is. People don’t just “give away Minecraft accounts” or want to “donate” free items. Stay safe and reject these offers unless they are from a trusted person.
• Unknown Links: NEVER open links from users you do not know or trust! If you click on a bad link the other person may be able to access your personal information, location, gain access to your account, grab your IP address etc. Always be on the safe side and don’t open links from people you don’t know!
• Unknown Downloads: NEVER download anything sent by users you do not know or trust! Again, this is a way that others can gain access to your most sensitive data or even attempt to take control of your computer/Minecraft account. Do yourself a favour and verify all downloads before you install them onto your device.
• Posting Safety: Never post photos of yourself, recognizable locations, street signs etc unless you have already taken steps to protect yourself. Eg: When posting photos during a trip, while eating out at a restaurant etc, post your photos after you have left the area so you cannot be found by individuals who may live nearby. If you do not want your face to be known, don’t share it with anyone that may be inclined to share it themselves given the right incentive. Unfortunately, sometimes people do things you would never think they would do. Stay safe and keep yourself more private than you think you may need to be to prevent this from happening to you.
• Personal Info Safety: Don’t share your name, age, location or any other identifiable information anywhere on Discord unless you are truly okay with others knowing who you are. This type of information can be gathered and used to dox you in the most severe of cases. You never know someone’s true intentions so unless you’re absolutely sure, this type of information should not be shared even with your most close internet friends.

Common Scams/Unwanted Content on Discord
Below is a list of common scams and issues that are seen on Discord frequently. Please read through this section carefully to make yourself aware of possible situations you may encounter while using the platform.

• Discord server invites (advertising): Someone may dm you with the IP to a server and ask you to join it for lots of rewards, to be entered into a raffle, etc. Usually these are desperate individuals whose sole purpose is to get people to join their server for their own benefit or a commission. If you get a DM from someone advertising and this person found you through Skyblock, please make a report to Staff so they can be punished accordingly.
• E-dating scams: While dating online can be beautiful and safe for many, beware of individuals who have other intentions. Some people may prey on you in an attempt to get you to do something for them, send them photos, etc. Please beware of who you’re talking to when you speak with others on Discord.
• “Free” gift cards: (Amazon, Steam, Skyblock gift cards, etc). People don’t willingly give away high-dollar amount gift cards for no reason. Typically these gift cards are fake and an attempt to take something from you or get you to do something. If someone truly wanted to give away a Skyblock gift card, they can do so via the giveaways section located on our forums here or on our Discord server in #giveaways
• “Free” Discord Nitro: Similarly, it’s rare that users give away free nitro. Be careful around those that make these promises but ask you to do something “in return” for them.
• “Free” Minecraft capes: This scam is usually an attempt to get you to send your Minecraft login information to someone so they can steal your account. A user may send you a link to what looks like the Minecraft/Mojang website and have you “log in” to the website to claim your cape. Don’t ever put your information in websites like these. They will be able to access the information and the “cape” they promised will never be given to you. This is also why enabling 2FA is so important, to protect against account thieves like these.
• “Free” Minecraft accounts: Similarly, people never just “give away” free Minecraft accounts. Not only is this against Minecraft’s EULA, it’s also dangerous for you. If you attempt to log into a Minecraft account that has 2FA enabled, the other person will receive an email with the location of where you are trying to log in from. Don’t be fooled! Always purchase accounts from the verified Minecraft website.
• “Is this you?” Discord/Steam scam: This occurs where an individual may send a link to your steam account on Discord and feed you a fake story about how they accidentally reported you and you have to follow steps to keep you from having your account “locked” by Steam. During this process, the hacker will attempt to take your discord account with a malicious link they may disguise as a "Steam Support" link. Always report these users straight to Skyblock Staff, Discord and Steam so they can be handled in the best possible way.
  
  Similarly, you may receive a message from someone on Steam asking you if you're a member on Skyblock and they might send you a link that supposedly is a photo of your account on Skyblock. If the link is clicked the hacker is able to gain control of your account (even if you have 2FA enabled) and will be able to access your password, payment methods, personal email, etc. Please be careful of anyone asking you about Steam, as it seems to be a popular way of stealing accounts as of recently.

There are lots more scams that unfortunately happen on Discord everyday but these are the main ones I’ve encountered while moderating on Skyblock. Even if you aren’t sure if something is a scam or not, always get a 2nd opinion from a friend, family member or us as staff. We’re always here to assist you.​

How to Report a User for Malicious Activity on Skyblock

• Take evidence (screenshots) of your communication with the possible scammer/hacker/nefarious individual.
• Save their account information, their discord ID (which is a long string of numbers. To find out how to find it, refer here), along with their discord username.
• Block the user.
• Contact a member of staff either by 1. Direct message on discord 2. Support ticket on discord (#mod-help) 3. Forums report section.
• Provide the staff member(s) with the screenshots and account information of nefarious individual and staff will deal with them at their earliest convenience!

<> In-Game/Minecraft Account Safety <>
This section will highlight tips for protecting yourself in general while playing Minecraft, as well as Skyblock-specific ways to keep yourself safe.
​

General Tips to Protect Yourself While Playing Minecraft

• 2FA: Enable 2FA on all your Minecraft accounts. As explained above, 2FA is essential to the safety of your accounts.
• Passwords: Construct a long and unique password that contains multiple letters, numbers and symbols. This is one of the simplest ways you can protect yourself.
• Passwords (Cont.): Do NOT use the same password for multiple accounts.
• "Free" Giveaways: Do NOT accept “free Minecraft accounts” or “free capes” from players. These can be a lure to get your account information, or view your IP/log in location, etc. Players may approach you in-game via /msg direct messages or in local chat about "free" items and send you a link to submit your information to receive said "free" item. Do not fall for it, instead report the user to staff of that server.
• VPN's: Use a VPN. While some servers don’t allow VPN use, Skyblock does. If you want to feel a little bit more safe, feel free to enable one. (You just may need to complete our re-captcha in game before being able play).
• Account Sharing: Do NOT share your account password with ANYONE. This includes family members, siblings and friends. You are responsible for your account even if someone else was using it. This includes all punishments that may be issued without you using the account yourself. We’ve seen all too many cases where a friend or sibling took a Minecraft account without permission, made some bad decisions on it and ultimately resulted in getting punished. Don’t share your account information with others to prevent this from ever occurring.
• Private Minecraft Servers: Do not join private Minecraft servers of random players. Not only is advertising other servers not allowed on Skyblock, the server host will be able to access your IP address as soon as you join their server. Always use a VPN if you want to join servers like these.

How to Protect Yourself on Skyblock

• Adding New Players: Do not /trust, /guest add or /coop users that are new to you. Please get to know someone before you entrust them to your island or you may be opening yourself up to griefing, theft or inappropriate builds.
• Block Locker: Use the block locker system to lock all your chests and valuable items such as beacons. (For a full tutorial on how to use block locker, type /warp lock in-game on Skyblock Survival).
• AFK/Offline Supervision: If you need to /trust someone to help you temporarily, do not go AFK or offline with them still trusted to your island. Supervise island helpers when you can to make sure they do not take advantage of you.
• Trading Tips: When trading with others, always have a screen recorder rolling. You never know the intentions of the other player(s) and video evidence is the best way for you to prove when a trade goes sour. Additionally, ALWAYS take screenshots of the agreed upon trade beforehand so if anything goes awry, you have proof they agreed to the terms. If you can, trade using the [shop] function in-game so you can see what you're getting before you purchase it (visit /warp tradeshop on Skyblock Survival for a tutorial on making buy/sell chests). Better yet, ask if a Staff Member can mediate your trade to make sure nothing goes wrong. Simply open a support ticket on Discord, ask an online staff member or dm someone directly to receive help.
• Product/Service Exchanges: When paying for a product/service always agree upon a fair exchange before said product/service is issued and take screenshots of your agreement for proof. Don’t pay for something completely up front unless it’s from/for someone you know and trust. Alternatively, if you are giving someone a service for example, always ask for 20-50% of the total cost up-front so you aren’t taken advantage of the other way around.
  • Unsure of who to trade with? Ask your friends about others users so they can vouch for their authenticity.
• Social Media Adds: Just met someone on Skyblock and they’re asking to add you on snapchat or other personal social media? Be mindful of who you share that information with. Many people lie about their ages in an attempt to receive photos from you, or otherwise take your content/information for their advantage.

 

<> Skyblock Forums Account Safety <>
This section will be brief as it contains similar themes to Discord and in-game safety tips.​

• 2FA: Enable 2FA, as with all your other accounts. This can be done by clicking on your username in the top dark blue bar on your screen -> Two-Factor Authentication -> Add New Key
• Passwords: Construct a long and unique password that contains multiple letters, numbers and symbols for your Skyblock forums account.
• Passwords (Cont.): Do NOT use the same password for multiple accounts and do not share your forums account login details with anyone else!
• Personal Info: Do not share personal information (personal photos, locations near you etc) while posting on the forums. Forums photos and posts are essentially “immortal” as other users can view your posts weeks, months or even years after you initially post unless you remove the content yourself. Refrain from posting any identifying information to keep your current self, and future self as safe as possible.
• Spam & Scam Accounts: Beware of spam and scam Skyblock forums users and posts. Spam/scam content is easily identifiable as it is almost always posted by an account using a "real name" like "Sarah Radler" for example and is pushing a specific website, product or service completely unrelated to Skyblock. Please use the forums report function if you run across a post or account like this.

<> Other Account/Social Media Safety Tips <>
While this section doesn't necessarily relate to Skyblock, there's always dangers on other platforms too which I wanted to briefly touch on.​

• Previously Mentioned Points: All aforementioned sections about links, downloads, random users trying to add you, etc all apply here as well.
• Identical Username Issues: When it comes to other accounts you may have (instagram, twitter, snapchat etc) do not use the same username that you have on Minecraft, forums or discord for your other personal accounts/social media. This is an easy way for those from Minecraft to be able to find you on other (personal) platforms.
• Internet Extortion: Never send exposing photos of yourself to strangers online. Blackmailing via photo content is disturbingly common and not something I would wish upon anyone. No matter who they are, there is never a reason someone must see you. Only share what you're comfortable with when it comes to others online (this will vary person to person and that's okay!) If you are in a difficult position or are being actively taken advantage of via blackmail or extortion, please ask for help. You are not alone.
• Personal Information: Be careful who you share your personal information with (name, age, location etc). Once shared, it's unfortunately easy take your information and do undesirable things with it.
• Social Media Searching: When sharing your social media, be conscious of the fact that others will be able to see who you follow, who follows you back, who comments on your posts, who you spend time with, etc. This may be a way for others to determine who you may know IRL and could potentially open up a way for others to find out more about you, where you live, where you go/went to school, etc. Please, only add people you know well!

Thus concludes my thread (for now). This thread may be edited at any time without notice. Thank you for reading and stay safe out there!
- Bree​

 

This is amazing!!! Thanks for doing this lil breep!!

 

Awesome job Bree! Cheers

 

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