So, try to follow us on this one. A 17-year-old in the Netherlands was arrested for stealing €4,000 worth of virtual property -- specifically, furniture in the online world of Habbo Hotel.
For the uninitiated, Habbo Hotel is a massively-multiplayer online world, based around 2D graphics and blocky, pixelated avatars interacting in a series of inter-connected, isometric rooms. At the heart of Habbo is the collection of furniture and accessories, which are acquired with the in-game currency, which is in turn acquired by forking over real cash for its equivalent amount in Habbo Coins.
Still with us? Good. The 17-year-old in question reportedly used a phishing scam to obtain the passwords of various Habbo Hotel players. Once logged in as those characters, the teenager -- along with five 15-year-old accomplices -- were able to steal the victims' furniture by moving the pieces from the owners' rooms to the suspect's. The accomplices were questioned, but the only arrest made so far was for the 17-year-old. Crime just doesn't pay, kiddies. Even when it's adorable.
Reader Comments (36)
Posted: Nov 14th 2007 6:28PM (Unverified) said
i knew that habbo was bad news when he entered the room
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Posted: Nov 14th 2007 7:18PM (Unverified) said
I was gonna say that as soon as I saw that Habbo pic XD
Epic Win
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Epic Win
Posted: Nov 14th 2007 8:42PM BPMOmega XBL PSN Steam said
Pool's closed due to furniture theft.
The furniture was full of AIDS and he dumped them in the pool.
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The furniture was full of AIDS and he dumped them in the pool.
Posted: Nov 14th 2007 6:36PM (Unverified) said
sounds just like what the gold farmers do in wow
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Posted: Nov 14th 2007 6:37PM thethirdmoose said
You can't "steal" anything online. It's just 1's and 0's. It would have been way easier for Habbo if they had just given the people another copy of the furniture.
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Posted: Nov 14th 2007 6:43PM Andrew F said
If you go to a bank and ask for the original dollar bills you deposited, they probably can't help you. Odds are, the money's been shifted around somewhere else now. Instead, what they did was flip a bunch of bits in a computer somewhere to signal that you had deposited a certain amount of cash.
So in that sense, your money is made up of 1s and 0s, and if you can't steal money, what can you steal?
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So in that sense, your money is made up of 1s and 0s, and if you can't steal money, what can you steal?
Posted: Nov 14th 2007 7:16PM thethirdmoose said
Your analogy is flawed. It is easy and close to free to replicate virtual furniture. It is costly to replicate real furniture. Thus, rather than suing this kid, Habbo should have just given the victims another, close to free copy of the furniture. (Or maybe not, since they were stupid enough to fall for the scam)
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Posted: Nov 14th 2007 10:15PM quickshade said
LOL, you can steal anything you want online. If I crack a bank network and get everyone's SS numbers and use them to get money, or get bank account numbers and account info and withdraw money with it I'm stealing. the computer world may be just 1's and 0's but those 2 numbers can get you anything you want in the world now, Hence why network security is among the highest paid jobs in the world. It's also the toughest. Anyways for proof check out Die Hard 4, which sums up what hackers could do with no life and unlimited funds. BTW this reminds me of the sims online, which had people doing this all the time.
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Posted: Nov 14th 2007 6:39PM R V said
Why would anyone in their right mind spend 4000 euros on virtual furniture in the first place. You can play a different game that is entertaining that'll cost you only $60. Heck, if you really wanted to, you could download a shitload of games off of torrents for free for endless enjoyment. Wtf is wrong with people? Paying for fucking VIRTUAL furniture is not synonymous with fun for me at all.
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Posted: Nov 15th 2007 12:36AM (Unverified) said
To be fair, it seems that it was stolen from several people. I hope that there isn't a person pathetic enough to buy 4,000 Euro in virtual furniture.
But 400 people spending 10 Euro each on digital furniture seems equally disheartening.
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But 400 people spending 10 Euro each on digital furniture seems equally disheartening.
Posted: Nov 14th 2007 6:55PM Lone Starr said
Do you think arrest will stop this brilliant criminal mind? For all we know, prison is just his next MMO.
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Posted: Nov 14th 2007 6:57PM (Unverified) said
Nerds dont tend to live long in prison and im sure will do anything to stay out once they taste it, or they taste the nerd(s)
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Posted: Nov 14th 2007 6:59PM (Unverified) said
That's hilarious!
Anyone buying virtual furniture with real money probably deserved to have this one coming, I can understand using virtual currency earned in-game.
What's the strength of the euro against Habbo coins right now anyway?
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Anyone buying virtual furniture with real money probably deserved to have this one coming, I can understand using virtual currency earned in-game.
What's the strength of the euro against Habbo coins right now anyway?
Posted: Nov 14th 2007 7:12PM (Unverified) said
He was arrested for phishing for peoples account information, not "stealing virtual furniture". What is this, Fox News?
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Posted: Nov 14th 2007 10:52PM (Unverified) said
business is givin you the business
up yo butt
and let me tell ya
business is boomin
you lookin to expand your business?
business is closed!
Reply
up yo butt
and let me tell ya
business is boomin
you lookin to expand your business?
business is closed!
Posted: Nov 14th 2007 7:23PM (Unverified) said
Wait, hold up...
He dreamed up a phishing scam - to steal fucking furniture?
Not to raid bank accounts or buy real stuff but to steal virtual, fucking coffee tables!?
Send his dumb ass to prison.
Reply
He dreamed up a phishing scam - to steal fucking furniture?
Not to raid bank accounts or buy real stuff but to steal virtual, fucking coffee tables!?
Send his dumb ass to prison.
Posted: Nov 14th 2007 7:59PM (Unverified) said
Yeah, whats up with the 4,000 Euros? That would buy one hell of a real-life living-room set, HDTV and everything. So if we are talking about virtual furniture it had better be a whole friggin' universe made only of LazyBoys. I mean, 4,000 Euros isn't exactly pocket change.
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Posted: Nov 14th 2007 8:12PM (Unverified) said
Wonder if anyone will steal the furniture in Home? Since you have to pay for that.
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Posted: Nov 14th 2007 8:23PM Colossalhat said
I'm wondering if anyone will ever play/use home for more than 10 minutes.
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Posted: Nov 14th 2007 8:28PM (Unverified) said
I can see it being quite big with the 2nd Life crowd.
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Posted: Nov 14th 2007 11:56PM hotpuck6 said
Phishing = not cool.
Phishing to steal virtual furniture from people dumb enough to buy it from a gay looking MMO social networking game = awesome and ingenious.
i hope they give him a medal.
chances are if you are going to succumb to a phishing scam in the first place, someone else was probably just going to dupe you out of your money eventually...
I mean, they are already playing this sad excuse for a "game".
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Phishing to steal virtual furniture from people dumb enough to buy it from a gay looking MMO social networking game = awesome and ingenious.
i hope they give him a medal.
chances are if you are going to succumb to a phishing scam in the first place, someone else was probably just going to dupe you out of your money eventually...
I mean, they are already playing this sad excuse for a "game".
Posted: Nov 15th 2007 7:11AM (Unverified) said
The people that tattled on him should stop being such bosnians.
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