Bainz [2101476] —
Pictured: Mmmmm, Gun P*rn
It all started during a game of Russian-foot Roulette. There I was, $800,000,000 in with two shots left. If I made it past the next chamber, I was buying an FHG BB. Aaaand I'm toast. The good news was, I only owed Duke a small portion of it. The bad news, I hadn't paid upkeep on my PI in a while and the lease was up in 2 days. Having recently liquidated my extra properties to free up my cash, I was heading for a shack. I need cash. What do I do?
Some people will try to go legit, sell their stuff, slut themselves out or just give up. Other, more unscrupulous citizens will attempt to buy their way out of trouble using real-world cash. This is known as Real Money Trading (RMT). And it is just about the stupidest thing you can do.
Pictured: A more profitable way of using money, because at least it keeps you warm
RMT involves one player buying Torn currency with real-life pounds, pesos, or whatever kind of money Zimbabwe is using these days. The consequences of such transactions are always dire, ranging from a permanent Torn ban or being scammed through to potential confinement in a Korean prison.
Think we're joking? Read on.
Both game and real-world economies are a balance of wealth creation and destruction; the value of the money in circulation needs equilibrium with the goods and services offered. Currency is created and destroyed to try and maintain this balance. Think of a see-saw ride with a friend. Now imagine a fat kid leaping onto your buddy's side and flinging you in the air. That fat kid is RMT.
Pictured: Macro & Micro Economics
When real-world cash enters the game illicitly, it creates an unpredictable economy and devalues game currency, so the price of goods and services must adjust to balance it out. As outlined in a paper by Augustus Erschel, RMT's impact is described as the spillover effect, an event which causes massive inflation and deflation cycles and can ultimately turn a free-to-play time-based game like Torn into a pay to win game. Torn citizens have gotten used to subscriptions and donations being optional. Few would like to see that change.
Do you really want a bunch of 12 year-olds using daddy's credit card to control massive amounts of Torn wealth at 8 days old? No, I thought not.
RMT users also reduce Torn's income from Donator Packs (DP) and subscriptions, income that could be used for updates and maintenance. If you complain about delays to long-awaited updates and server downtime while purchasing RMT, you are part of the problem.
Still, some of you might be tempted due to sheer desperation. But if you knew how easy RMT is to track, you wouldn't dare try it. Staff can easily identify which transactions are RMT related and which are legit; the data doesn't lie.
Pictured: The stone cold gaze of the Law
Torn's Multihunter catches every multi eventually, and RMT users are often swept up too, since multi operators use duplicate accounts to scam factions, individual players and people they think are stupid. Billions are lost every week due to these activities, and this money is often then sold via RMT transactions to unsuspecting buyers.
RMT transactions gain the attention of both the Multihunter and the RMT hunters, and one self-confessed real money trader, Deathpulse, explained via the forums how such people profit from their activities.
"When I lost money on poker to big al and was running low on funds I paid him [emer1cah, aka oogee] through PS4 codes for more IRL dollars per billion than I sold it to him for (no idea why he wanted it in ps4 codes but I didn't really stop to ask)"
Deathpulse is now in permanent federal jail, but if he had stopped to ask, he'd have realised that the seller's Torn currency had been stolen from other players, and this game money was then used to earn real-world cash in the form of PS4 cards.
Real life criminals use RMT to "wash" their money. It happens a lot. It has happened in Torn. And if the proceeds or origin of any RMT money is used illegally, you have the potential to be indicted as being part of a money laundering scheme.
Money collected from online scams needs to be injected into a real economy so the criminals can make use of it. However, to protect their identity, criminals will sell their PS4 cards, Xbox codes or V-bucks using a stolen eBay or Craigslist account, before transferring this cash to a bank account also opened using stolen information. Throughout all this the criminal remains hidden. You, however, are highly visible.
If the trail from your RMT transaction is linked towards acts of money laundering, fraud or narcotics smuggling, you'll gain the attention of agencies from governments around the world. People can and have been prosecuted for involvement in these crimes after buying RMT. What we end up with is one very confused RPG player talking to law enforcement about how he wished he'd just done a few plushie runs instead of becoming involved with a Nicaraguan cocaine cartel.
Cheaters Face Jail
Overwatch Cheaters Arrested
Overwatch Hackers Sentenced
RMT Laundering Ring
Let's see how easy it is for your faction mates to bust you out of a real Korean jail over a couple billion in Torn cash.
Pictured: A purchase which won't land you in jail, but may get you some suspicious looks from your neighbors.
From a gaming perspective, is it even worth it?
Buying virtual cash isn't just legally dangerous, it also devalues the time and effort you've put into the game. It undermines the accomplishment of hitting those big merits. More than that, there is no pride to be taken from purchasing something instead of earning it with your fellow players.
The best explanation that I have heard so far is that "Real-money buyers are violating the achievement hierarchy" of the game. Cheating is a sure-fire way to end your interest in Torn, Monopoly or your sexual partner. And in some nations, even the most innocuous shortcut can get you a date with a judge.
But Bainz, I'm ever so tight on cash. What can I do?
Being broke in Torn is a bummer, but there are plenty of opportunities to earn easy, quick cash if you know where to look. Plushie and flower runs to foreign nations are a career for some players, as is slutting, which involves selling losses to others. You can also do crimes, organised crimes, get a loan from your faction, work the item and point markets, search the dump, or find a company with saleable items to work for.
Other methods of obtaining easy cash include making a banner and selling it, entering Torn's many competitions, or writing an article or comic for the newspaper, before selling the awarded points for 100% pure profit. But never, ever beg for free stuff. You Will Die!
Pictured: Something you won't find in Torn through begging
The lure of RMT is based on the ability to swap fewer real-life working hours for Torn cash which would take weeks or months to earn naturally. However, as we've just shown, you will always be caught one way or another, and you can reduce the time it takes to earn Torn City Dollars massively if you're smart about it.
We all ground out cash and stats at some point. If you could do it then, you can do it now. And maybe next time, don't gamble with money you can't afford to lose, and don't give your new spouse or faction mate access to the vaults.
If you'd like to read more on money laundering in online games, I highly recommend the article below.
https://blogs.bromium.com/laundering-via-gaming-currency-and-goods-part-2/
Original article
Did you know that Real Money Trading is often linked to multi accounts, money laundering and real criminal activites? Are you at risk? Read on to find out.
Pictured: Mmmmm, Gun P*rn
It all started during a game of Russian-foot Roulette. There I was, $800,000,000 in with two shots left. If I made it past the next chamber, I was buying an FHG BB. Aaaand I'm toast. The good news was, I only owed Duke a small portion of it. The bad news, I hadn't paid upkeep on my PI in a while and the lease was up in 2 days. Having recently liquidated my extra properties to free up my cash, I was heading for a shack. I need cash. What do I do?
Some people will try to go legit, sell their stuff, slut themselves out or just give up. Other, more unscrupulous citizens will attempt to buy their way out of trouble using real-world cash. This is known as Real Money Trading (RMT). And it is just about the stupidest thing you can do.
Pictured: A more profitable way of using money, because at least it keeps you warm
RMT involves one player buying Torn currency with real-life pounds, pesos, or whatever kind of money Zimbabwe is using these days. The consequences of such transactions are always dire, ranging from a permanent Torn ban or being scammed through to potential confinement in a Korean prison.
Think we're joking? Read on.
Both game and real-world economies are a balance of wealth creation and destruction; the value of the money in circulation needs equilibrium with the goods and services offered. Currency is created and destroyed to try and maintain this balance. Think of a see-saw ride with a friend. Now imagine a fat kid leaping onto your buddy's side and flinging you in the air. That fat kid is RMT.
Pictured: Macro & Micro Economics
When real-world cash enters the game illicitly, it creates an unpredictable economy and devalues game currency, so the price of goods and services must adjust to balance it out. As outlined in a paper by Augustus Erschel, RMT's impact is described as the spillover effect, an event which causes massive inflation and deflation cycles and can ultimately turn a free-to-play time-based game like Torn into a pay to win game. Torn citizens have gotten used to subscriptions and donations being optional. Few would like to see that change.
Do you really want a bunch of 12 year-olds using daddy's credit card to control massive amounts of Torn wealth at 8 days old? No, I thought not.
RMT users also reduce Torn's income from Donator Packs (DP) and subscriptions, income that could be used for updates and maintenance. If you complain about delays to long-awaited updates and server downtime while purchasing RMT, you are part of the problem.
Still, some of you might be tempted due to sheer desperation. But if you knew how easy RMT is to track, you wouldn't dare try it. Staff can easily identify which transactions are RMT related and which are legit; the data doesn't lie.
Pictured: The stone cold gaze of the Law
Torn's Multihunter catches every multi eventually, and RMT users are often swept up too, since multi operators use duplicate accounts to scam factions, individual players and people they think are stupid. Billions are lost every week due to these activities, and this money is often then sold via RMT transactions to unsuspecting buyers.
RMT transactions gain the attention of both the Multihunter and the RMT hunters, and one self-confessed real money trader, Deathpulse, explained via the forums how such people profit from their activities.
"When I lost money on poker to big al and was running low on funds I paid him [emer1cah, aka oogee] through PS4 codes for more IRL dollars per billion than I sold it to him for (no idea why he wanted it in ps4 codes but I didn't really stop to ask)"
Deathpulse is now in permanent federal jail, but if he had stopped to ask, he'd have realised that the seller's Torn currency had been stolen from other players, and this game money was then used to earn real-world cash in the form of PS4 cards.
Real life criminals use RMT to "wash" their money. It happens a lot. It has happened in Torn. And if the proceeds or origin of any RMT money is used illegally, you have the potential to be indicted as being part of a money laundering scheme.
Money collected from online scams needs to be injected into a real economy so the criminals can make use of it. However, to protect their identity, criminals will sell their PS4 cards, Xbox codes or V-bucks using a stolen eBay or Craigslist account, before transferring this cash to a bank account also opened using stolen information. Throughout all this the criminal remains hidden. You, however, are highly visible.
If the trail from your RMT transaction is linked towards acts of money laundering, fraud or narcotics smuggling, you'll gain the attention of agencies from governments around the world. People can and have been prosecuted for involvement in these crimes after buying RMT. What we end up with is one very confused RPG player talking to law enforcement about how he wished he'd just done a few plushie runs instead of becoming involved with a Nicaraguan cocaine cartel.
Cheaters Face Jail
Overwatch Cheaters Arrested
Overwatch Hackers Sentenced
RMT Laundering Ring
Let's see how easy it is for your faction mates to bust you out of a real Korean jail over a couple billion in Torn cash.
Pictured: A purchase which won't land you in jail, but may get you some suspicious looks from your neighbors.
From a gaming perspective, is it even worth it?
Buying virtual cash isn't just legally dangerous, it also devalues the time and effort you've put into the game. It undermines the accomplishment of hitting those big merits. More than that, there is no pride to be taken from purchasing something instead of earning it with your fellow players.
The best explanation that I have heard so far is that "Real-money buyers are violating the achievement hierarchy" of the game. Cheating is a sure-fire way to end your interest in Torn, Monopoly or your sexual partner. And in some nations, even the most innocuous shortcut can get you a date with a judge.
But Bainz, I'm ever so tight on cash. What can I do?
Being broke in Torn is a bummer, but there are plenty of opportunities to earn easy, quick cash if you know where to look. Plushie and flower runs to foreign nations are a career for some players, as is slutting, which involves selling losses to others. You can also do crimes, organised crimes, get a loan from your faction, work the item and point markets, search the dump, or find a company with saleable items to work for.
Other methods of obtaining easy cash include making a banner and selling it, entering Torn's many competitions, or writing an article or comic for the newspaper, before selling the awarded points for 100% pure profit. But never, ever beg for free stuff. You Will Die!
Pictured: Something you won't find in Torn through begging
The lure of RMT is based on the ability to swap fewer real-life working hours for Torn cash which would take weeks or months to earn naturally. However, as we've just shown, you will always be caught one way or another, and you can reduce the time it takes to earn Torn City Dollars massively if you're smart about it.
We all ground out cash and stats at some point. If you could do it then, you can do it now. And maybe next time, don't gamble with money you can't afford to lose, and don't give your new spouse or faction mate access to the vaults.
If you'd like to read more on money laundering in online games, I highly recommend the article below.
https://blogs.bromium.com/laundering-via-gaming-currency-and-goods-part-2/
See you around Torn.
~Bainz~
Original article
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