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Japanese Teen Arrested for Stealing Virtual Cash
Tokyo police recently arrested a 16-year-old boy who has allegedly stolen virtual funds worth approximately $340,000 USD. Using simple hacking software, the boy gained login information from a former employee of Naxos, the company hosting the game called Mabinogi. He then used this to access the game’s servers to obtain the virtual funds.
The interesting question of whether one can steal something that does not exist may come up in this case. The police say that they are treating the offence seriously. However, the teen only spent approximately $5,500 USD of the stolen funds.
This is not the first time that a teen has been caught doing something like this. Last November a Dutch teen engaged in a similar act. In both cases the offenders were motivated by the desire to purchase game items; in this case a gothic-style princess dress, and in the Dutch case digital furniture.
For additional information, visit:
http://blog.wired.com/games/2008/01/japanese-teen-s.html