Ten Ton Hamster

Contests are a lot of fun and you can win awesome prizes! There are a huge number of online, fan-run contests these days for popular kids' MMOGs, too. Fan-run means they are not "official"; they do not have the sponsorship or recognition of the developer or publisher of the game itself. That said, it doesn't mean they aren't "real" and can give you real prizes.

Recently Ten Ton Hamster was invited to take place in a few of these contests. Because many of us here play these games regularly, it is only natural that we'd be invited. However, that made us think... just how safe are these contests?

We examined three such contests and came up with a list of guidelines to use whenever you are considering "Entering" one of these kinds of unofficial contests (or any unofficial contest anywhere, for that matter).

1. Only ever do contests that you can win "in game" prizes, not prizes in real life, unless parents give you permission to share your information. And never fill out the information yourself, please have a parent do it so they are well aware of where the information is going.

2. NEVER EVER EVER give out any information other than your on-screen user name (the name you use inside the game). A contest administrator will NEVER need your account user name, your password, or any 'real' information about you. If you win the contest, your user name should be all they need to send you your 'in game' prize. Never send address, email, phone number, last name, or anything else. If you are asked for these things, leave the site or simply tell your parents about it. If you ever have questions and aren't sure who to ask, you can ask us here in our forums.

3. Make sure the prize is worth your time. Some prizes given away in the games would take you less time to make yourself or purchase with money you earn in the game than they would be to win by things you have to do for the contest.

4. Remember, the reason all these "fans" and "fansites" have contests is to attract readers and visitors to their site. When you are on the websites or blog pages with these contests, take a good look around. Maybe the contest is worth your time and safe, but the pages also might have a whole lot more great information you can use and share with your friends! Be safe and have fun.