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Japanese kid hacks into Nexon to steal money, motivated by fashion photo

Prepare yourself, readers: Your belly laugh of the day has just arrived. A Japanese sixteen year old was arrested today by the Tokyo Metropolitan police for hacking into the South Korean game company Nexon and stealing the $35k equivalent of currency for a popular MMO called Nabongi. When asked about motivation, the teen voiced his reasoning for the theft:

"I originally wanted the dress worn by the princess,” he was quoted as saying, “but I just ended up racking up a bunch of game points.”

This has to be some of the best motive yet for MMO theft. Obsession with a "gothic lolita" dress is such a winning reason  for anything really -- it just takes the award home for pure ridiculousness. It also makes me want to punch irrational MMO players in the face, but that's another rant entirely.

No consequences for the crime have been announced yet, but since the currency of Mabongi can be converted into real world currency, the crime equates to stealing real money and will be treated as such. The reports actually show that the hacking wasn't all that difficult, as the teen used basic hacking software to do it. You hear that, Nexon? It's easy for legions of rabid asian MMO players to worm into your system and steal money. Batten the hatches over there.

[Via NeoSeeker - Thanks, Jonathan] 


Continue: More Nexon stories





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31 comments | showing # 1 to 31

Syn's Avatar
Syn at 01/28/2008 15:56
I'm...speechless...he wanted a dress...and I have nothing to say about it...except first post. Nya
Neonie's Avatar
Neonie at 01/28/2008 15:58
HE hacked into the game for a dress.

*Mega Sigh*
MrSadistic's Avatar
MrSadistic at 01/28/2008 16:00
Let me be the first to let out a giant: kekekekekeke!
Shin Oni's Avatar
Shin Oni at 01/28/2008 16:00
this stuff was common back in the early days of the cash shop on Maple story. Especially with the gifting.

but hell. I don't see the problem on the kid's end. He's just showing that the lazy asses at Nexon don't do anything outside of constantly making pathces and adding new junk. Where half the time they don't moderate the games enough and hackers or people with the hack programs just run about either screwing up the game's economy or just gaining levels upon levels.
mix's Avatar
mix at 01/28/2008 16:01
If it said Amercian boy I knew you would have been lying.
MechaMonkey's Avatar
MechaMonkey at 01/28/2008 16:01
Nexon's gonna get Zerg rushed by hackers.
Origim's Avatar
Origim at 01/28/2008 16:02
Wow I could have understood it better if his motivation had been to convert the game money into real currency. I did it all for the dress is just el stupido.
Baron Calico's Avatar
Baron Calico at 01/28/2008 16:05
So... does anyone have an ingame pic of the princess in question? And by princess, I mean the NPC, not the dong-having player.
PrinceofCannedPeaches's Avatar
PrinceofCannedPeaches at 01/28/2008 16:07
OMG - who woulda thunk that the country that brought you Tidus and Vaan would also bring you boys that crave female fashion?

*megagasp*
vexed alex's Avatar
vexed alex at 01/28/2008 16:13
...Que chingados?
Colette Bennett's Avatar
Colette Bennett at 01/28/2008 16:17
@Baron - One hasn't surfaced, but if and when it does, I'll update.
king3vbo's Avatar
king3vbo at 01/28/2008 16:19
EPIC LULZ
mid3vol's Avatar
mid3vol at 01/28/2008 16:29
dance, magic dance.

bowie, anyone?
riomccarthy's Avatar
riomccarthy at 01/28/2008 16:41
Was it the princess from this game? Or something completely different?
vp360's Avatar
vp360 at 01/28/2008 16:41
those are some freaky people
Toneman's Avatar
Toneman at 01/28/2008 16:42
Damnit, the kid beat me too it. Now my cover will be blown if I attmpt it.
Damn you Japanese kid!
Colette Bennett's Avatar
Colette Bennett at 01/28/2008 16:47
@Rio - that is the game, in fact. Is there only one princess?
Callow's Avatar
Callow at 01/28/2008 16:54
Now is it Mabongi or Nabongi?
riomccarthy's Avatar
riomccarthy at 01/28/2008 16:55
@Colette: Oh I have no idea XD I was just confused because in the article it was called something else, and I wanted to try it out and find the princess, but unfortunately it's just a closed beta.
Barcode's Avatar
Barcode at 01/28/2008 16:55
I hear a ROFLcopter in the distance.
riomccarthy's Avatar
riomccarthy at 01/28/2008 16:56
Neither if it's the game I linked it's Mabinogi. =P
Professor Pew's Avatar
Professor Pew at 01/28/2008 17:01
There is a NexCon? :o
DJDuffy 's Avatar
DJDuffy at 01/28/2008 17:59
hack a game for a dress??! why didn't I think of that sooner..yea I thought it was David Bowie as well. I could see him doing that crime.
MrFudge's Avatar
MrFudge at 01/28/2008 18:04
It says in the source that he actually stole $325,000 worth. That's pretty hardcore.
Eschatos's Avatar
Eschatos at 01/28/2008 18:13
I would so totally do that for COD4.
Sam Spectre's Avatar
Sam Spectre at 01/28/2008 18:35
Gothic fashions are all the rage in Japan.
Wedge's Avatar
Wedge at 01/28/2008 19:11
They have a big gathering of kids in goth clothes at this one park in Tokyo on Sunday or something. All I know is it was the day I was at the park. There were hundreds of them there... yeah.
Mxyzptlk's Avatar
Mxyzptlk at 01/28/2008 20:58
This is why being able to convert imaginary in-game money to actual currency and vice versa is a bad, bad, idea.
Fading Star's Avatar
Fading Star at 01/29/2008 00:32
Lol, that really sucks.

:(.
Necros's Avatar
Necros at 01/29/2008 03:52
This is why Koreans can't have nice things.
Release82's Avatar
Release82 at 02/25/2008 14:54
What do you expect from a country that worships starcraft?
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