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Massive Bank Fraud In EVE Online

Posted by Soulskill on from the virtual-madoff dept.

djconrad was one of several readers to point out the latest major scandal in EVE Online, the space MMO notable for its large, player-driven economy and the entertaining stories it often generates. A player named Ricdic, chairman of a large in-game bank, decided to embezzle roughly 200 billion ISK (the game's currency). Ricdic exchanged the ISK for about $5,000 to pay off real-life debts. Massively has an in-depth write-up about how the theft affects the game and its players. Since the scandal became public, there's been a run on the virtual bank, and its executives are doing what they can to reassure people that it will continue to exist. Ricdic was banned, not for the embezzlement, but for trading 200 billion ISK for real currency, which is forbidden by EVE's EULA.

5 of 138 comments (clear)

  1. Interesting and Boring at the Same Time by whisper_jeff · · Score: 5, Interesting

    EVE continues to be an interesting study in politics and intrigue but I will forever fail to understand its appeal as an MMO. I've tried playing it - it totally does not appeal to me in any way, what-so-ever. It was about as dreadfully boring as a game could possibly be without being nothing at all. In my opinion. But, its political backstabbings and manipulations of its systems sure as hell generate some interesting stories... Intensely interesting and dreadfully boring at the same time.

  2. Good advert for Eve... by Manip · · Score: 5, Interesting

    You might think I'm being sarcastic but really. Each time I read one of these stories about an Eve problem I only want to play the game more. I've played other MMOs and having full banking institutions, investments, and companies exist is within its self very rare.

    I mean all games have some kind of monetary system and by extension a way to trade money for goods. But very few are able to recreate the real world so closely.

    Take for example World of Warcraft, you have gold, and you can trade. But you'd never have real businesses exist because the game just doesn't work that way, let alone banks.

  3. Re:Just you wait... by gringofrijolero · · Score: 5, Funny

    Both. He works for Goldman Sachs...

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  4. Re:Slow news day? by zergl · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Because for EVE veterans a scam hardly qualifies as "news". ;)

  5. Re:Maybe these companies will wake up some day by longacre · · Score: 5, Funny

    There are already games that let you do that. They're called NYSE, NASDAQ and FOREX.

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