This article is about a rumor. It is speculation, and is not an official part of Webkinz World. The Webkinz Killer (TWK) was a rumor that emerged in early 2007 about a character that would supposedly murder a player's Webkinz. It spread wildly around the site, with players going so far as to say that it would infect others with destructive malware. Ganz addressed this rumor in August 2008, stating that "Nothing in Webkinz World would ever hurt your Webkinz pets".[1] "The Webkinz Killer" is not a true threat to pets, and Webkinz cannot die.
Explanation
It was rumored that the Webkinz Killer was added to the game by a developer at a competing website or a disgruntled ex-employee at Ganz. There were a variety of methods of "assassination" that were spread, with some saying that the killer was a virus that appeared as a black penguin with red eyes. This virus would wipe the player's hard drive and BIOS (on Windows 9x systems), rendering the computer unusable.[2]
Another rumor was that a colored box (commonly black) would randomly appear in a player's room. Players would be instructed by others to leave as quickly as possible - if the box was clicked on, something would pop out and chop decapitate their pet. It was also stated that a Webkinz Host could send players letters containing bombs or other explosive devices. If these letters were opened, the player's house would be destroyed and their Webkinz would be killed. The black letter was a primary source for said malware.
Identity
Frequently, the Webkinz Killer is identified as Dr. Quack or as other Webkinz pets. Some users also blame the killing on Neopets, a popular competing site. Dr. Quack also had specific rumors surrounding his clinic, with one stating that if a player clicked the eyesight testing poster too many times (at least 50 times) he would become upset and kill their pets. It was also rumored that he could give pets poisonous pills which would kill them.
The Webkinz Killer is a false rumour, and is fake. Do not take anything above as fact.