Russian criminals may be using the TF2 in-game economy for money laundering.
136 replies, posted
Smart....
[QUOTE=latin_geek;38447361]I'm sorry but my idea of fun isn't waiting "a few weeks" for the RNG gods to drop me a decent/"noob-friendly"/"sidegrade" that everyone uses -gun[/QUOTE]
You could allways venture into the dark corridors of TF2 trading to get what you want,
[sp]Spoilers: You wont[/sp]
To think the TF2 economy has gotten darker thane EVE Online's.
I think a lot of people here are missing the point that they bought the keys using
[I][U][B]STOLEN CREDIT CARDS[/B][/U][/I]
so yeah it's a pretty big deal.
[QUOTE=minilandstan;38443920]I remember when TF2 was just a class based shooter
Now it has a bigger economy than Greece and the Russian mob are using it.
Christ Valve, you struck gold.[/QUOTE]
My toenails have a larger economy than Greece.
[QUOTE=Headhumpy;38447533]I think a lot of people here are missing the point that they bought the keys using
[I][U][B]STOLEN CREDIT CARDS[/B][/U][/I]
so yeah it's a pretty big deal.[/QUOTE]
Why do we have credit cards anymore if they are so easily stolen and abused. Debit cards are superior.
[QUOTE=The Pretender;38444144]Anyone who's knowledgeable with TF2 trading knows that scammers have been buying keys with stolen cards for a long time now. This right here though takes the fucking cake.
Side note: I'm a SteamRep staff member, so chances are I'll be able to provide additional information from both SteamRep and Valve as the story develops.
EDIT: I asked around and apparently Valve has taken care of it.
The research done on this was outstanding, the creator of the article needs a fucking pat on the back.[/QUOTE]
Your name makes me think your just sitting firing off bullshit
[QUOTE=Desuh;38447991]Why do we have credit cards anymore if they are so easily stolen and abused. Debit cards are superior.[/QUOTE]
Debit cards are just as easily stolen and abused as credit cards. Folding money is always better than plastic, especially in a disaster scenario (read: Sandy, which happened not too long ago).
[QUOTE=Wormy;38448061]That's a pretty nice site. My backpack is apparently worth 170 us dollars.[/QUOTE]
[img]http://i.imgur.com/ZqozV.png[/img]
yay for not taking any of this shit seriously!
[QUOTE=wickedplayer494;38448043]Debit cards are just as easily stolen and abused as credit cards. Folding money is always better than plastic, especially in a disaster scenario (read: Sandy, which happened not too long ago).[/QUOTE]
But debit cards dont have their password written on them. If someone finds your card he can only use it with your pin code. If somehow your online banking pin gets stolen your card cant be used without a special code list only you have. And even if someone gets your pin or code list you will notice it right away and not at the end of the month.
I'm waiting for the team to make a blog post about this
[QUOTE=Ezhik;38446866]Aww, I expected Russian mafia getting paid for an assassination with earbuds and shit :v:[/QUOTE]
trading blood for buds msg me
[QUOTE=FlashFireSix;38446811]my TF2 Backpack is worth $91 :v:
[editline]14th November 2012[/editline]
I do think TF2 updates have gotten out of hand (mid life crisis? did somebody mention earlier)
But if the TF2 team just introduced a "vanilla" mode with everything added recently removed, it'd shut up the whiners, and give a break from the bright purple max heads[/QUOTE]
Valve gibe Classic TF2 plz.
[editline]14th November 2012[/editline]
[QUOTE=Milkdairy;38447500]To think the TF2 economy has gotten darker thane EVE Online's.[/QUOTE]
At-least I understood making dosh with Eve.
TF2 is just hella confusing to me at that point
[QUOTE=hamar;38446915]Bitches please I have gotten 500$+ worth of games and shit since trade was released.[/QUOTE]
Or just get a job and make that much in fraction of the time you wasted.
[QUOTE=Badunkadunk;38448822]Or just get a job and make that much in fraction of the time you wasted.[/QUOTE]
Or people do the TF2 trading as a hobby after their work, some people actually enjoy trading.
[QUOTE=jptalbert;38444481]TF2 is incredibly balanced. Nearly all the weapons they come out with are actually downgrades from stock weapons. If you look at competitive play they use almost all stock weapons with the exception of a few like the equalizer, kritzkrieg, etc. I'd argue that it's one of the most balanced games ever made.[/QUOTE]
The blutsauger is a downgrade? The quick fix is a downgrade? The liberty launcher, puff n sting pyro, and black box are downgrades? Really? Coo.
[QUOTE=Badunkadunk;38448822]Or just get a job and make that much in fraction of the time you wasted.[/QUOTE]
But then I actually have to work :c
[QUOTE=Desuh;38449125]But then I actually have to work :c[/QUOTE]So you mean you don't do [b]anything[/b] except get expensive in-game items? You don't even have to spend time trading, looking for hours on end for good deals on items and carefully watching the TF2 market? Do the items magically appear in your backpack for you to redeem them once you have collected enough?
[QUOTE=Bumbanut;38449219]So you mean you don't do [b]anything[/b] except get expensive in-game items? You don't even have to spend time trading, looking for hours on end for good deals on items and carefully watching the TF2 market? Do the items magically appear in your backpack for you to redeem them once you have collected enough?[/QUOTE]
I heard Desuh sharks, so that would be that.
The real life equivalent would be charging a little kid 200 bucks for a beanie from walmart. (why the kid has this much money is irrelevant)
[QUOTE=Bumbanut;38449219]So you mean you don't do [b]anything[/b] except get expensive in-game items? You don't even have to spend time trading, looking for hours on end for good deals on items and carefully watching the TF2 market? Do the items magically appear in your backpack for you to redeem them once you have collected enough?[/QUOTE]
He probably does profit trading which is really goddamn easy and not that time consuming.
Profit trading (or "scamming" as facepunch called it before they became massive pussies) is basically finding people who don't know the value of their expensive items, giving them a cheap item that looks more appealing (like a cheap hat, most of the ones that look good and go well with the artstyle are worth jackshit nothing nowadays) for it and then selling the items for tons of real-world cash.
I used to do that and I ended up with a minecraft account, several nice hats, several steam games, and a deep hatred for myself.
[QUOTE=Desuh;38448274]But debit cards dont have their password written on them. If someone finds your card he can only use it with your pin code. If somehow your online banking pin gets stolen your card cant be used without a special code list only you have. And even if someone gets your pin or code list you will notice it right away and not at the end of the month.[/QUOTE]
99% of credit cards out there will automatically decline purchases that are "fraud". I.E. if I've been buying things in Ohio, but a purchase is made in new york, that purchase is instantly declined and you get sent a fraud alert
And the huge advantage of credit cards, is because it isn't your money, it's much easier to get a fraud pruchase that isn't detected automatically, reversed or dropped on your bill. You can go to any charge on your credit card, report it as a fradulent charge, and then make a case for how there's now way you could have purchased it. The charge is put on hold, and when its determined its fraud you aren't liable to pay it.
Meanwhile, if you lose your debit card info (which by all accounts works exactly like a credit card), you INSTANTLY get that money deducted from your account, and you can't do anything about it.
You also falsely believe that the only way you can get money off a debit card, is if you have a pin. This ONLY applies to certain purchases and ATM withdrawls. You don't need a pin to by groceries (just charge as credit), gas (just charge as credit), buy anything online, etc. Hell, 99% of things you buy with a debit card don't require a pin- its only when you ask for cash back, or if a purchase is over a certain amount at very specific stores, that you have to put a pin in.
[QUOTE=l l;38449297]I heard Desuh sharks, so that would be that.
The real life equivalent would be charging a little kid 200 bucks for a beanie from walmart. (why the kid has this much money is irrelevant)[/QUOTE]
What.
I was joking. Of course trading is wasting time but (depending on how active you are) it means bumping your trade a few times a day and making and responding to offers. Most people just like to trade and although working pays more if you look at the hours/money ratio but you also have to find a job and you often have less fun doing it. Most people dont trade with making money in mind so selling your hats for $3000 after a year of trading is just a nice amount of money you made not really doing anything. But there also are people out there who actually are in for the money. I am just taking wild guesses but i am sure some people made $10k< with tf2 already. Some for example buy backpacks and then resell the items. Its not a valid source of income of course because it isnt very stable and because paypal is a risky way of selling virtual goods.
They are just hats.
[QUOTE=KorJax;38450453]99% of credit cards out there will automatically decline purchases that are "fraud". I.E. if I've been buying things in Ohio, but a purchase is made in new york, that purchase is instantly declined and you get sent a fraud alert
And the huge advantage of credit cards, is because it isn't your money, it's much easier to get a fraud pruchase that isn't detected automatically, reversed or dropped on your bill. You can go to any charge on your credit card, report it as a fradulent charge, and then make a case for how there's now way you could have purchased it. The charge is put on hold, and when its determined its fraud you aren't liable to pay it.
Meanwhile, if you lose your debit card info (which by all accounts works exactly like a credit card), you INSTANTLY get that money deducted from your account, and you can't do anything about it.
You also falsely believe that the only way you can get money off a debit card, is if you have a pin. [B]This ONLY applies to certain purchases and ATM withdrawls. You don't need a pin to by groceries (just charge as credit), gas (just charge as credit), buy anything online, etc. Hell, 99% of things you buy with a debit card don't require a pin- its only when you ask for cash back, or if a purchase is over a certain amount at very specific stores, that you have to put a pin in.[/B][/QUOTE]
Uh yes you do.. every single purchase requires pin number. Exception of that being online purchases which require you login to your bank account online and make a purchase, which is safe. Plus all purchases can be reversed and you can get your money back via bank investigation.
[t]http://financialpostbusiness.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/interac.jpg?w=620[/t]
It blows me away how many people trade unusuals, let alone obtain them. Most are 'worth' more than my entire inventory combined. Though for some reason, the large purple revolver in my loadout is somehow worth 30x more than anything else.
[QUOTE=KorJax;38450453]you INSTANTLY get that money deducted from your account, and you can't do anything about it.[/QUOTE]
dude your bank is shit
In my case, if I make a debit transaction, it instantly counts, but instead of just losing the money, it is merely subtracted from my "available" balance. The money is still in the bank in my account, I'm just not allowed to use it. If I don't contest the charge within a certain timeframe (something like three days I think) [b]then[/b] it gets deducted entirely, but only then.
That and I have a nice little page on my online banking that shows my transaction history.
To me this story sounds like the plot to a James Bond movie.
[img]http://img577.imageshack.us/img577/8964/fromrussiawithkeys.png[/img]
[QUOTE=latin_geek;38449389]He probably does profit trading which is really goddamn easy and not that time consuming.
Profit trading (or "scamming" as facepunch called it before they became massive pussies) is basically finding people who don't know the value of their expensive items, giving them a cheap item that looks more appealing (like a cheap hat, most of the ones that look good and go well with the artstyle are worth jackshit nothing nowadays) for it and then selling the items for tons of real-world cash.
I used to do that and I ended up with a minecraft account, several nice hats, several steam games, and a deep hatred for myself.[/QUOTE]
I will always call it "jewing"
[QUOTE=MrFlashcat;38448891]Or people do the TF2 trading as a hobby after their work, some people actually enjoy trading.[/QUOTE]
my passion in life is taking one virtual item in an online game, connecting with another user and [I]swapping[/I] this item for another, more different virtual item
it's almost like swapping in real life, except it isn't! isn't that amazing?
nobody understands me
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