Teens really arrested for virtual crime
p2pnet news | Crime:- Five teenagers have been arrested for a virtual online heist of virtual furniture worth hard cash.
A Dutch 17-year-old is accused of stealing 4,000 euros (about $ 5,840) worth of virtual furniture, bought with real money, says the BBC. and five 15-year-olds were also questioned by police, who were contacted by the website’s owners, it says.
Habbo Hotel users create characters who can then buy furniture, among other things, and story has a spokesman for Finland’s Sulake, which operates Habbo Hotel, saying: “The accused lured victims into handing over their Habbo passwords by creating fake Habbo websites.”
The teenage gang members are, “suspected of moving the stolen furniture into their own online hotel rooms after conning other users out of their login details and passwords,” says The Telegraph.
On the site:
“Are you a Law Enforcement Official? Need to get in touch with us?
“Habbo works closely and in full cooperation with police and law enforcement. If you are a law enforcement authority or police officer investigating a possible crime or needing assistance, please contact us by clicking this link.
“Police and law enforcement inquiries receive top priority within Sulake’s Habbo sites. Email is the fastest and most efficient way to contact us.”
Also See:
BBC - ‘Virtual theft’ leads to arrest, November 14, 2007
The Telegraph - World’s first arrests for ‘virtual theft’, November 14, 2007
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November 14th, 2007 at 3:30 pm
So, those “virtual worlds” replicate scarcity of the real world.
Anyone want to build a system where you have abundance instead of scarcity? - Probably not, otherwise it would be too boring.
Or wait…, actually there is abundance in the real world now: abundance of user-generated content. Even Time Magazine acknowledges it here: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1569514,00.html . This is what needs to be protected from the hands of Big Media, and an efficient way of doing so is to make Big Media irrelevant.
November 14th, 2007 at 6:05 pm
why for the love of god would you pay real money for a virtual item!!!
November 14th, 2007 at 7:15 pm
Because HabboHotel requires that you do, that’s why. Not that it makes it any more logical.
November 14th, 2007 at 7:25 pm
Webkins. ’nuff said.
November 14th, 2007 at 9:41 pm
“Because HabboHotel requires that you do, that’s why. Not that it makes it any more logical.”
OR…. because the people that paid real money for some stupid virtual furniture were absolute IDIOTS! I would take this explanation any day of the week.
November 15th, 2007 at 8:40 am
Don’t they have virtual cops for this?
Throw ‘em all in virtual jail?
This sounds like it should be left as a game and tax payers should not have to supply police services for this silliness.
If you buy virtual stuff you must expect virtually nothing.
March 30th, 2008 at 11:49 am
kaka