Sega warns that Japanese players who bought ‘fraudulent’ in-game currency have been convicted
The publisher claims that people selling and buying in-game currency outside of its apps could be arrested
Sega of Japan has warned players that buying in-game currency from third party sellers could see them being arrested, citing a recent example.
In a statement posted on the company’s official Japanese website, Sega notes that in August 2024, a number of people were arrested and convicted of computer fraud after “defrauding in-game currency from our game apps”.
According to Sega, the people in question were members of a criminal group who were offering in-game currency at a cheaper price than found in the game.
The group “collected customers’ money on a ‘real money trade’ website under the guise of a billing agent service”, Sega says, then “transmitted false information to our servers and defrauded them of the in-game currency of our game apps”.
It adds: “Not only the members of the criminal group who actually committed fraud and defrauded our in-game currency from us, but also users who easily obtained the in-game currency through such fraudulent acts were arrested, indicted, and convicted for their involvement in the fraud.”
Sega says that in order to prevent such situations from occurring, its game apps “prohibit all fraudulent billing and the transfer or lending of accounts to third parties that may lead to fraudulent billing under the terms of use”.
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If Sega confirms that a user has broken these terms, it will suspend the account immediately. “In addition, when we confirm a case of suspected fraudulent billing, such as this one, we will promptly consult with the police,” it adds.
“As in this case, the party who requested a proxy billing service and obtained in-game currency may also be charged with a crime,” it says. “We ask that you never use [these] services to avoid becoming involved in or being involved in such crimes. We also ask that you refrain from telling others your game ID or password, and from purchasing in-game currency or in-game items from services that request the transfer of your account.
“With your cooperation and support, we will continue to work hard to create products and services that you can use with confidence, and we sincerely ask for your continued understanding and cooperation.”
