Chinese exchange student arrested by Japanese police after using bot program to
steal items from other users and then selling them for cash.
According to a report in the Mainichi Daily News today, Kagawa Prefecture Police
in Japan have arrested a Chinese exchange student who allegedly used a bot hack
in Lineage II to steal items from defeated characters. The student went on to
sell the items over an Internet auction in exchange for Japanese Yen.
Reportedly, Kagawa Police suspects other hackers from China are involved in the
Lineage II bot-hack scheme.
According to officials at NC Japan, the operators of Lineage II, the bot hack
creates a normal character in the game, and the character then goes on to
automatically defeat opponents and steal their items. Players who are attacked
by the bot-hacked character are unable to continue playing the game after losing
their items.
Single items from Lineage II sold over Japanese Internet auction sites can range
in price from 2,300 to 8,000 yen ($21.00 to $73.00), according to officials at
Internet Association Japan. A successful Internet auction bidder can obtain
stolen weapons, protection, and credits easily. The bidder makes payment into
the seller's bank account directly. The bidder then completes the auction
transaction by taking possession of the items at a specific time and place in
the game.
"As long as there are people willing to buy items over the Internet, the
abuse won't stop," commented Akio Kokubu, vice president of Internet
Association Japan. Kobe University professor Masakatsu Morii told the paper
there are no Japanese laws governing the sale of items from online game sites.
He said that game site operators should take measures to prevent fraud. Kagawa
Prefecture Police are continuing their investigation into where and how the bot
hack was created, according to the paper. It's unknown at this time if the hack
was created in Japan or China.
Kagawa is located in southern Japan and is the smallest prefecture (by area) in
the country.
... That is a tad too mean. People will do anything for money nowadays. People
are trying to fun in the games. The hackers should just leave the players alone
and go get a job.
I don't even know what Lineage II is except it's an online game??
I'm confused to what these items really are. I presume they are the items that
you pick on in the game, like potions, scrolls, etc in other rpgs? If this is
the case, then I don't really get how you can sell that stuff for real money.
But of course, this questions from someone who do not play computer games.
=)
Nonetheless, that the hackers are robbing other players and profiting off of
their loss is certainly a very punishable crime. Though I do not really know of
a legal precedent for such a case. So this one can set that precedent, ne?
That's a bad thing! I don't play it but hearing that is a danger from the game
players. But considering what the Chinese did, well, that's the worst thing a
player can do!
Hmmm...I laugh at the people who got P\/\/|\|3|) by the bots, and I laugh the
the bot creator for getting caught. But on a more serious note, I do feel for
the people who got robbed, cause that stuff sucks, eh?
In the Philippines, you don't need a bot to steal items. Some nerds just look
over what you're typing, some use keyloggers and some thugs just gang up on the
poor victim and force the password out of him. They take the item, strip the
characters and sell all of those for cold hard cash or use the items gained
personally.
But about the topic, this doesn't make much of an impact since there is an
entire ring of people involved in this kinds of scams.
Oh my god that is pathetic. What kind of retarded creep steals online game
items and then resells them for real cash. But I have a point of contention....
I feel bad for players that get their stuff stolen especially in this case since
the method prevents them from continuing with the character. However, I've got
to wonder about the kind of people who spend real money on game items. It is
one thing to pay for a service and play a game online. It is a whole other
thing to spend real cash on something that amounts to a useful bit of coding. I
mean yes.. the item or spell or whatever might be very useful in advancing your
character in the game, but it is just a game. You can't actual take the item
and do anything with it in real life. You are only going to play the game for so
long.... Is it really worth it to spend even $20.00 dollars on a bit of coding?
RPG types of games are not so much about winning as facing challenges and
arguing with your friends. I don't see wear using a special item to max your
given character in a few days is really going to make the game more fun to play.
It might give you bragging rights if you actually earned it, but even then you
are not the only one with the item. I just don't get it.
Lineage II Fraud Results in Arrest
Chinese exchange student arrested by Japanese police after using bot program to steal items from other users and then selling them for cash.
According to a report in the Mainichi Daily News today, Kagawa Prefecture Police in Japan have arrested a Chinese exchange student who allegedly used a bot hack in Lineage II to steal items from defeated characters. The student went on to sell the items over an Internet auction in exchange for Japanese Yen. Reportedly, Kagawa Police suspects other hackers from China are involved in the Lineage II bot-hack scheme.
According to officials at NC Japan, the operators of Lineage II, the bot hack creates a normal character in the game, and the character then goes on to automatically defeat opponents and steal their items. Players who are attacked by the bot-hacked character are unable to continue playing the game after losing their items.
Single items from Lineage II sold over Japanese Internet auction sites can range in price from 2,300 to 8,000 yen ($21.00 to $73.00), according to officials at Internet Association Japan. A successful Internet auction bidder can obtain stolen weapons, protection, and credits easily. The bidder makes payment into the seller's bank account directly. The bidder then completes the auction transaction by taking possession of the items at a specific time and place in the game.
"As long as there are people willing to buy items over the Internet, the abuse won't stop," commented Akio Kokubu, vice president of Internet Association Japan. Kobe University professor Masakatsu Morii told the paper there are no Japanese laws governing the sale of items from online game sites. He said that game site operators should take measures to prevent fraud. Kagawa Prefecture Police are continuing their investigation into where and how the bot hack was created, according to the paper. It's unknown at this time if the hack was created in Japan or China.
Kagawa is located in southern Japan and is the smallest prefecture (by area) in the country.
Thats awful. Nobody should have their hard earned time and money stripped away from them so easily.
I hate
it when people dont play fair.
ROFL to the people who got their shits stolen. got their ass pwn by a bot. ROFL
Oh, no, I'm playing Lineage II, thanks God I wasn't attacked by that bot...
... That is a tad too mean. People will do anything for money nowadays. People are trying to fun in the games. The hackers should just leave the players alone and go get a job.
I don't even know what Lineage II is except it's an online game??
I'm confused to what these items really are. I presume they are the items that you pick on in the game, like potions, scrolls, etc in other rpgs? If this is the case, then I don't really get how you can sell that stuff for real money. But of course, this questions from someone who do not play computer games. =)
Nonetheless, that the hackers are robbing other players and profiting off of their loss is certainly a very punishable crime. Though I do not really know of a legal precedent for such a case. So this one can set that precedent, ne?
That's a bad thing! I don't play it but hearing that is a danger from the game players. But considering what the Chinese did, well, that's the worst thing a player can do!
well its easymoney till u get caught
Hmmm...I laugh at the people who got P\/\/|\|3|) by the bots, and I laugh the the bot creator for getting caught. But on a more serious note, I do feel for the people who got robbed, cause that stuff sucks, eh?
In the Philippines, you don't need a bot to steal items. Some nerds just look over what you're typing, some use keyloggers and some thugs just gang up on the poor victim and force the password out of him. They take the item, strip the characters and sell all of those for cold hard cash or use the items gained personally.
But about the topic, this doesn't make much of an impact since there is an entire ring of people involved in this kinds of scams.
Oh my god that is pathetic. What kind of retarded creep steals online game items and then resells them for real cash. But I have a point of contention.... I feel bad for players that get their stuff stolen especially in this case since the method prevents them from continuing with the character. However, I've got to wonder about the kind of people who spend real money on game items. It is one thing to pay for a service and play a game online. It is a whole other thing to spend real cash on something that amounts to a useful bit of coding. I mean yes.. the item or spell or whatever might be very useful in advancing your character in the game, but it is just a game. You can't actual take the item and do anything with it in real life. You are only going to play the game for so long.... Is it really worth it to spend even $20.00 dollars on a bit of coding? RPG types of games are not so much about winning as facing challenges and arguing with your friends. I don't see wear using a special item to max your given character in a few days is really going to make the game more fun to play. It might give you bragging rights if you actually earned it, but even then you are not the only one with the item. I just don't get it.