The justice system here in the UK is so messed up. There is nothing that can be done to stop this guy getting back infront a computer, the police have more important things to do than deal with this. Notice how people that stab other people with knives get just 6 years in jail? Well to rub salt in an already salty wound they are usually out within 6 monthes.

 

It's good that they're trying to crack down though...

I am glad that Jagex is doing they're part for things like this to make it safer for players and making hackers pay for they're crimes. Let us hope that they continue catching hackers.

good for jagex

There's more to this story; people don't get arrested simply for stealing RuneScape game accounts.

Good job there. That's great.

There's more to this story; people don't get arrested simply for stealing RuneScape game accounts.

My guess is that one of his keyloggers found its way to the "wrong persons" computer and its them that reported it as malicious computer access or something. The Runescape element, while small, helped the police follow the "paper trail" and find out who it was.

There's more to this story; people don't get arrested simply for stealing RuneScape game accounts.

My guess is that one of his keyloggers found its way to the "wrong persons" computer and its them that reported it as malicious computer access or something. The Runescape element, while small, helped the police follow the "paper trail" and find out who it was.

 

Key word: "Stealing".

 

People do get arrested for stealing. And theft of virtual items is looked at almost the same way. There's been more than 1 thread on these forums with people being charged for the theft of virtual items. One being two kids who made another guy, in real life, give them his green halloween mask.

The offenders have both been sentenced to community service -- 200 hours for the 15-year-old, and 160 hours for the 14-year-old.

(Source: http://www.massively.com/2008/10/21/dutch-court-convicts-2-minors-of-stealing-virtual-items/ )

 

And in relation to Phishing being illegal:

 

Congress and Phishing are on colision course - Phishing is a crime that can happen to anyone. Essentially it is identity theft. Someone steals your credit card and your name in order to steal your money and potentially ruin your credit. Unfortunately, this crime is becoming so popular on the internet that congress is being forced to enact federal laws about the criminality of phishing.

 

And in the same article

If someone is convicted under the law passed by congress for phishing they could risk spending up to five years in prison. The people convicted of phishing may also have to pay a $250,000 fine.

(Source: http://www.anti-phishing.info/congress-and-phishing.htm )

 

I'm sure, in most places around the world - those above figures vary, however, still very much illegal. Says that it's hard to find those phishing, yes. But when they are found.... :twisted:

There's more to this story; people don't get arrested simply for stealing RuneScape game accounts.

My guess is that one of his keyloggers found its way to the "wrong persons" computer and its them that reported it as malicious computer access or something. The Runescape element, while small, helped the police follow the "paper trail" and find out who it was.

 

yes, either that, or he also wiped someones IRL bank as well, since he most likely had access to that as well by help of a simple keylog.

so maybe the kid downloaded something stupid, and he ended up losing his RS bank, while in the meantime his daddy ended up losing REAL money hehe

Go Jagex, kick some nerd butt! :D

+3 Longsword of the Burning Wedgie

 

I want it...

 

First thing that came to my mind.

The justice system here in the UK is so messed up. There is nothing that can be done to stop this guy getting back infront a computer, the police have more important things to do than deal with this. Notice how people that stab other people with knives get just 6 years in jail? Well to rub salt in an already salty wound they are usually out within 6 monthes.

 

It's good that they're trying to crack down though...

 

What, more important than stealing? They may as well not bother with people stealing cars or shoplifting, because after all, they have more important things to deal with. This has been a long time coming, and if they get a conviction it will really help with the effort of taking down virtual goods theives. I would have thought this guy would be behind a few proxies, and it doesn't seem to have helped.

No one should be in jail for hacking a videogame account. If he used a stolen credit card to pay for the account thats a different story entirely.

No one should be in jail for hacking a videogame account. If he used a stolen credit card to pay for the account thats a different story entirely.

 

"No-one should be in jail for setting up a system to steal items, albeit virtual." As an above poster said, and to conintue on from that, no-one should be in jail so, according to you, for stealing a car, bike, TV..anything! Training a RuneScape account requires many many hours, you've earned what you get on this game. Some [wagon] coming along, fooling you by creating an illegal site which resembles the real one and taking your stuff? That's stealing.

And to my mind, I can really image a Jagex Mod in life, holding a giant Ban-Hammer whilst standing at the door of the perpetrator.

This is a great step I think, both for Jagex and for the Internet-crime scene. I've always felt that internet crimes are seen as being lesser to that of crimes encountered in the world, which of-course shouldn't be the case - although the 'virtual' nature of it creates somewhat of a barrier between the real-world and the 'internet', these accounts and virtual-possessions are still that - possessions. They should really be treated as such in my opinion. The loss of them does result in loss of time, money in some cases and even emotional disturbance!

 

The law's there for a reason and certainly a lot of the younger-generation growing up believe that they can get away with hacking and online theft. (I had that same opinion up till only a few years ago! ;)) This kind of publicity should make people realise that they do have punishments to face if they pursue the wrong line of things and should hopefully scare off at least some people!

 

And to my mind, I can really image a Jagex Mod in life, holding a giant Ban-Hammer whilst standing at the door of the perpetrator.

Lol! :^_^:

Legally you don't own your Runescape account, you pay monthly for the privilege to use it. Jagex could delete your account because they sat their turkey sandwich on the big red button, and there is nothing you could do because they have the legal right to delete it for any reason. Thats the difference between a videogame account and a bike.

 

I'm pretty sure if you stole a bike in the US you'd get probation. Getting jailtime for this doesn't match the crime.

 

 

Training a RuneScape account requires many many hours, you've earned what you get on this game.

Wrongo. Anything earned in this game is worth exactly $0.00

Legally you don't own your Runescape account, you pay monthly for the privilege to use it. Jagex could delete your account because they sat their turkey sandwich on the big red button, and there is nothing you could do because they have the legal right to delete it for any reason. Thats the difference between a videogame account and a bike.

 

I'm pretty sure if you stole a bike in the US you'd get probation. Getting jailtime for this doesn't match the crime.

 

Doesn't that simply relate that it's stealing the property of Jagex rather than the property of the player? If so - surely the same applies, it's still the theft of a possession, albeit a virtual one.

 

I'm not clued up on the law and I certainly don't know what would warrant jail-time or simply a probation; It would seem harsh to get jail-time for the theft of virtual goods, especially if it's a first offence - but I don't think we're told anything about why the decision was jail-time? It could well be that there were other factors behind the decision as others have said in this thread...

Legally you don't own your Runescape account, you pay monthly for the privilege to use it. Jagex could delete your account because they sat their turkey sandwich on the big red button, and there is nothing you could do because they have the legal right to delete it for any reason. Thats the difference between a videogame account and a bike.

 

I'm pretty sure if you stole a bike in the US you'd get probation. Getting jailtime for this doesn't match the crime.

 

Training a RuneScape account requires many many hours, you've earned what you get on this game.

Wrongo. Anything earned in this game is worth exactly $0.00

 

That's why Jagex is making the effort to bring the hacker to justice, not the account creator. Accounts are worth money to Jagex, because it's how the company runs its games. It's like me lending a bike out to a friend for free, and then someone else takes the bike without my permission. Although the friend hasn't bought the bike or added value to it, it's still worth money to me and has therefore been stolen.

funnily enough, I read this in the Telegraph about a week ago I think it was (don't press me for dates, I never remember them). My mum showed it to me and we had a bit of a laugh about it. I'm not sure why though :huh:

wow Jagex actually did something about the hacking problem, NICE! =D>

There's a first for everything... About time Jagex.

There's a first for everything

indeed, first time a thread's been necrod NOT by you

There's a first for everything

indeed, first time a thread's been necrod NOT by you

lol irl

 

Oh you. :shades:

There was no reason to bump this thread back up as it is over 2 years old. Locking this.