WoW raid IRL

[Minvaren]

Article here (and slightly dated).

FBI agents recently raided at an apartment at University Towers in Ann Arbor as they investigate potentially fraudulent sales or purchases of virtual currency that people use to advance in the popular online role-playing game World of Warcraft, records show.

I thought the barrier for getting the FBI involved in cybercrime was pretty high...  Is this Blizzard pulling strings, or something far beyond RMT?

[Merusk]

It might be high, but this isn't just cybercrime.

Agents are investigating whether at least one person engaged in a scheme to set up fraudulent bank accounts to buy and/or sell "virtual currency" or "gold" to be used in the game, federal court records show.

Monetary and banking fraud is a prime mission of the FBI.  Investigating the above quote is fully within their mission and theirs alone.

[Fordel]

Selling Gold in WoW, FBI doesn't give a shit.

Pretending to sell Gold in WoW and just taking peoples money, FBI does give a shit.


That's my understanding.

[ezrast]

I saw the topic and instantly imagined 40 cosplayers beating up a flaming cardboard Ragnaros in Times Square or something. Glad it's just finance fraud and not something really egregious.

[Fordel]

Man, now I want someone to do that.

[01101010]

As long as they youtube it and at least one person dies while three people seriously try to rez him/her.