Once again, we’re looking at EVE Online. An intergalactic space Ponzi scheme fleeced investors of 1 trillion spacebuxx or whatever that currency is called, which the perps can put toward a lifetime supply of game time and still have a bunch left over for all the other shit they want to buy in-world.
It was a plain-and-simple Ponzi scheme. About 8000 players invested their ISK in something called Phaser, which promised returns of 5 per cent per week. Some were wary of the claim but, you know, cognitive dissonance and all that. Well, the scam managers pulled the plug with this douched-up nastygram (and that image above):
After a stunning period of eight months, we decided it’s enough. No more new accounts. No more mails. No more payout days. No more ISK. Most likely, this will cause a lot of questions. The most important question will be answered right here, right now. The ISK is gone; you will not see it ever again.
You’ve invested it, got a chance on some profit, but it turned out to be not the best choice you’ve ever made. That’s how investing works. At least, that’s how it went for the most of you.
Massively reports that the scheme did pay out 345.18 billion ISK, and wary investors withdrew 452.72 billion, but that still left over about 1.034 trillion ISK. Given that EVE’s in-world currency has a real world value, this ripoff netted scammers “Eddie Lampert” and “Mordor Exuel” the equivalent of $US51,677.50. It’s enough to buy 2,953 30-day subscriptions or, basically, 160 years of gametime for both.
The fund’s website has a full accounting of the eight month scam. They’ll face no official moderation, just in-game consequences should any of their fleeced investors have the scratch to come after them. See, this is how much fun/more awesome America would be if the Libertarians actually ran things, and so we should root for that and for Ron Paul to win the Republican presidential nomination, the end.
Biggest EVE Online Scam Ever Nets One Trillion ISK [Massively]
Aidan
Saturday, August 13, 2011 at 12:51 PM“See, this is how much fun/more awesome America would be if the Libertarians actually ran things, and so we should root for that and for Ron Paul to win the Republican presidential nomination, the end.”
Ooh, politics. :D
Mathers
Saturday, August 13, 2011 at 1:01 PMRespect for those two players. It would have taken alot of work to get that running and the profits for them are well deserved.
Stephen
Saturday, August 13, 2011 at 5:13 PMWouldn’t want to bet too many isk that these guys haven’t broken a few laws.
Reags
Saturday, August 13, 2011 at 6:04 PMHaha awesome.
herp
Saturday, August 13, 2011 at 6:34 PMI’d be really worried that some of these people would come after me in real life. Especially if they’re European.
Can’t just steal money and expect people to be chill.
monkeyd_93
Sunday, August 14, 2011 at 1:20 AMMy ISK is on Anonymous finding who they are and exposing/hacking them.
RumFellow
Sunday, August 14, 2011 at 4:23 AMSpare me the drama. Players on Eve are notoriously paranoid, so I think its unlikely that more than 10% is from players. Its far more likely that this is a form of bot cash laundering.
supersomething
Sunday, August 14, 2011 at 10:05 AMhow many capital ships would you get for that
Boo Goose
Sunday, August 14, 2011 at 11:28 AMEnough to protect you from 8000 angry space cadets with any luck.
Franz
Sunday, August 14, 2011 at 9:05 PMHahah excellent.
Korwin
Sunday, August 14, 2011 at 10:00 PMThese guys are going to holed up in empire space for months.
StudiodeKadent
Monday, August 15, 2011 at 1:38 AMOwen Good,
Please spare us the political angle.
Using EVE Online to attack libertarianism is like using STALKER to critique Marxism.
Oh, and you are aware actual libertarians are against fraud (such as Ponzi schemes), right?
Also, Ron Paul’s libertarian credentials aren’t exactly flawless; the guy has a Paleocon streak a mile wide, he doesn’t believe in the Incorporation Doctrine (applying the Bill of Rights to the States) and he’s a social conservative on at least some issues at the State level.
Look, its entirely possible you were just making a little joke, but politics is a hot-button issue and when making news reports on a site visited by plenty of people with very wide-ranging views on political issues, it is best to avoid making casual barbs like this.
If a post intends to discuss political issues, its best for said post to discuss these issues in a fair way that refrains from misrepresenting any perspective.
Space Bro
Monday, August 15, 2011 at 11:06 AM+1 for keeping US politics out of my gaming breakfast
Raistlan
Monday, August 15, 2011 at 10:17 AMFully expected this would happen – I got more money out of them than I put in though.
Beamer
Monday, November 14, 2011 at 6:30 PMI highly doubt they got away with that much isk, but then again there are a lot of dumb people in the game. http://iskwatch.blogspot.com/p/eve-scams_08.html lists every damn scam in the game. There is no reason to fall for this or any other scam.