The BBC is reporting that a Dutch teen has been arrested for furniture theft at Habbo Hotel. The concept of virtual property being swiped isn't a new idea by any means, but the crime may be getting a high level of media attention for a couple of reasons -- first, the teen was arrested. Second, even though Habbo furniture, or furni, is relatively inexpensive in real-world dollars (see our "Designing Habbo on $10 Per Card" feature), the amount of the teen's alleged theft is 4,000 euros -- just over $5,000. Not a pittance. Five other kids are being questioned in connection with the theft.
Another interesting thought is that while the general population may understand online theft in concept, World of Warcraft gold, Second Life intellectual property, or weapons and artifacts in MMOs still sound a little farfetched to the average consumer, perhaps. Bedroom furniture stolen from a hotel is something anyone can understand.
A Sulake spokesperson told the BBC, "In Habbo, as in many other virtual worlds, scamming for other people's personal information such as user names has been problematic for quite a while. We have had much of this scamming going on in many countries but this is the first case where the police have taken legal action."
[Via BBC News]
Comments (2)
I wonder if the Habbo police took the kid's online room first? I can see the equivalent of a SWAT team storming into the Habbo room and chatting what they are doing to him... "We are pinning you to the floor. We are cuffing your hands. We are bashing you into submission. Punch. Punch. Kick! Kick!" Meantime, the real guys are mounting the attack on all fronts of the real house.
Posted by Robert Brackenridge | November 15, 2007 4:55 PM
Posted on November 15, 2007 16:55
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