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Dutch Teen Busted for Virtual Theft
He ripped off Habbo game 'furniture' that cost players $6K: cops
By Colleen Barry
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Posted Nov 15, 07 5:01 AM CST
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(Newser)
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In what's believed to be the first arrest ever for theft of virtual property, a Dutch teenager has been busted for stealing "furniture" from an online game. He allegedly stole login information from gamers playing "Habbo Hotel," a Sims-like operation in which players create guests and furnish hotel rooms using credits that cost real money. The thief, 17, then used the information to remove other players' furniture, said police.
He and five other teens were nailed when they moved the goods—worth close to $6,000— into their own virtual hotel rooms, according to the BBC. About 6 million people a month from 30 countries play the game on social networking sites. Such thefts are becoming an increasing problem, according to officials.