FBI Raids University of Michigan Students' Apartment over WoW Gold Farming

April 14, 2011

The FBI has raided the apartment of two University of Michigan students to investigate what it has called "potentially fraudulent sales or purchases of virtual currency that people use to advance in the popular online role-playing game World of Warcraft." The story comes from Computer World. The FBI thinks the two students are terrorists who are doing "something" in World of Warcraft to further some sort of terrorist plot. It's hard to say what exactly they suspect from the two within Blizzard's virtual world, but they obviously aren't going on a hunch here.

The two students, a sophomore and a junior, shared a University Towers apartment in Ann Arbor, Michigan were raided by the FBI and had several items confiscated for further investigation including laptops, hard drives, unnamed video game systems, credit cards, a cell phone, undetermined paperwork and other computer equipment.

The unnamed college sophomore told AnnArbor.com, "They [the FBI] thought we were involved in some kind of fraud. I'm pretty sure they have the wrong people, but they took all my stuff."

The student goes on to say that neither of them play world of Warcraft and that the FBI has targeted "the wrong people." Could it be that the FBI raided the wrong apartment?

Investigators don't think so. They say that at least one person at the address they raided was involved in a "scheme to set up fraudulent bank accounts to buy and/or sell 'virtual currency' or 'gold' to be used in the game."

Federal Court records show that the FBI is investigating gold farming and its apparent connection to terrorism. In this case, agents were looking for online transaction records associated with WoW and a number of other web sites such as the Chinese gold-farming website gameusd.com, eBay, PayPal and the United Services Automobile Association.

Source: Computer World

Comments

Re: FBI Raids University of Michigan Students' Apartment ...

Submitted by Requiem Of Forg... on Fri, 04/15/2011 - 09:17.

 

"Federal Court records show that the FBI is investigating gold farming and its apparent connection to terrorism."

Hey Mr. FBI guys, for those of us who don't see everything in the world as a connection to terrorism, could please explain this "apparent connection?"  We don't spend all day reading Tom Clancy books or constructing conspiracy theories where ‘the terrorists win’, so we’re a little confused.

Here’s a thought I just had while typing this:  Could what the FBI actions be considered terrorism itself?  They forced themselves into someone’s home and disrupted their lives by taking important things from them (mind you they were students so they probably needed those computers) all under the name of protecting the US against terrorism.

 

Possible substitutions for “gold farming”:


Federal Court records show that the FBI is investigating breathing and its apparent connection to terrorism.

Federal Court records show that the FBI is investigating rabbits and their apparent connection to terrorism.

 

Re: FBI Raids University of Michigan Students' Apartment ...

Submitted by prh99 on Thu, 04/14/2011 - 18:43.
"It's hard to say what exactly they suspect from the two within Blizzard's virtual world, but they obviously aren't going on a hunch here." I think you're giving the FBI entirely too much credit.

Re: FBI Raids University of Michigan Students' Apartment ...

Submitted by hellfire7885 on Thu, 04/14/2011 - 13:27.

As much as I hate gold farmers even I agree this is a bit much.

Re: FBI Raids University of Michigan Students' Apartment ...

Submitted by Magic on Thu, 04/14/2011 - 11:27.

When you buy gold, you're funding TERRORISM.

Re: FBI Raids University of Michigan Students' Apartment ...

Submitted by Craig R. on Thu, 04/14/2011 - 17:09.

In the past, DHS and others have tried to link piracy and terrorism. In their addled minds, this is probably just another logical conclusion that they've drawn from straws.

Re: FBI Raids University of Michigan Students' Apartment ...

Submitted by MechaCrash on Thu, 04/14/2011 - 14:49.

While "buying gold = FUND TERROR" is too far, "buy gold = fund ID theft" is reasonable. After all, there's a reason so many WOW accounts get stolen and stripped. That's how the gold sellers get their inventory -- they deal in stolen goods.

Re: FBI Raids University of Michigan Students' Apartment ...

Submitted by Pixelantes Anonymous on Thu, 04/14/2011 - 07:46.

Seriously?

FBI doesn't have anything better to do than act as the enforcing arm of Activision?

Unless their gold farming operation is very large scale, there's absolutely no way it'd hit any reasonable threshold that should warrant FBI's attention.

The guys are probably not paying taxes on the income from their operation, but I don't see any other reason for the FBI to go on a fishing expedition.

Fraudulent bank operation? Give me a f***ing break!

-- http://pixelantes.blogspot.com/

http://pixelantes.blogspot.com/

Re: FBI Raids University of Michigan Students' Apartment ...

Submitted by Neeneko on Thu, 04/14/2011 - 07:32.

So basicily they are probably currency traders or wholesalers.. but because it was virtual currency rather then the real stuff they were labled terrorists rather then given tax breaks and bailout money?

 
Forgot your password?
Username :
Password :

Poll

Will there be any female presenters at the unveiling of Microsoft’s new console?:

Shout box

You're not permitted to post shouts.
PHX Corp: http://kotaku.com/ea-sports-developer-calls-wii-u-crap-and-nintendo-wa-508481261 EA Sports Canada Moron calls Wii U 'Crap' and Nintendo 'Walking Dead'05/18/2013 - 11:42am
E. Zachary Knight: If the videos are of sufficient quality that people subscribe and watch regularly, then those let's players are providing a service that people want. That is the heart of capitalism. That is not something that should be shamed.05/17/2013 - 8:06am
E. Zachary Knight: I have no idea who either of those people are. However, I still don't see why making a business out of creating let's play videos is somehow evil or wrong.05/17/2013 - 8:04am
MaskedPixelante: It sure is if you're just doing it for the money. See Tobuscus and/or Pewdiepie for what happens when people get into it just for the money.05/17/2013 - 7:30am
E. Zachary Knight: Why is it wrong to make money doing LPs? Why should that be something that should be shamed?05/17/2013 - 6:20am
MaskedPixelante: https://twitter.com/PsychedelicSA/status/335183893214924801 Now here's an interesting, glass half full thought about the Nintendo LP thing. It outs the people who are just doing LPs to make money.05/17/2013 - 5:56am
E. Zachary Knight: I responded in writing to all this "let's play" stuff Nintendo Started. No need for my permission, I won't give it. It's not mine to give. http://divineknightgaming.com/?p=29205/16/2013 - 2:21pm
E. Zachary Knight: Lars Doucet of Levelup Labs has a Reddit going on game companies that allow monetization of Let's Play videos. http://www.reddit.com/r/Games/comments/1egayn/lets_build_a_list_of_game_studios_that_allow/05/16/2013 - 1:04pm
Sleaker: @Imautobot - yah I wouldn't use an emulator as a good first run test of how stable the console is, haha.05/16/2013 - 11:47am
E. Zachary Knight: The 50th person to jump off a bridge is just as dumb if not dumber than the 1st.05/16/2013 - 10:03am
MaskedPixelante: Yeah, let's all jump on Nintendo for doing this, even though they're hardly the first company to do this...05/16/2013 - 9:47am
E. Zachary Knight: Wow Nintendo, this is wrong. http://kotaku.com/nintendo-forcing-ads-on-some-youtube-lets-play-video-50709238305/16/2013 - 8:44am
Imautobot: @Sleaker, further gameplay has revealed that the controller button do stick under the faceplate. Also, The NES emulator (Emuya)keeps crashing on me, though I think a bad ROM is causing it.05/16/2013 - 7:10am
Papa Midnight: AE: I wonder if any other publishers will follow suit.05/15/2013 - 8:12pm
Andrew Eisen: EA is ditching Online Pass. http://venturebeat.com/2013/05/15/ea-kills-its-controversial-online-pass-program/05/15/2013 - 7:20pm
Avalongod: @Zach and quicnkold...I've read the bill and the intent of it is to fear-monger. It's not a balanced message. I don't recall the ESRB being mentioned at all. It's more "keeps your kids away from these movies/games or they'll become violent"05/15/2013 - 4:35pm
E. Zachary Knight: quiknkold, The big problem with that legislation is the amount of misinformation out there. Who is going to ensure that the information in the pamphlet is accurate?05/15/2013 - 3:25pm
quiknkold: REBeardogg : I'm on the fence about this. on one side, I want parents to be aware of the ESRB, and even Movie Ratings. On the other hand, I feel this will be used for nothing but Propaganda. The ESRB does a good job.05/15/2013 - 3:07pm
IanC: Frostbite is coming out on iOS devices. Yet the Wii U cant handle it? *coughbullshitcough*05/15/2013 - 2:31pm
BearDogg-X: http://www.politickernj.com/65515/lesniak-ruiz-bill-limit-children-s-exposure-media-violence-clears-senate - Bill requiring schools to publish pamphlets with anti-fake media "violence" propaganda clears NJ Senate05/15/2013 - 2:03pm
All shouts
 

Be Heard - Contact Your Politician