Does the community ever have a constructive conversation about RMT?

[Kaethra]

There are a lot of things they could do to curb the RMT, but they seem convinced that weekly ban waves are somehow sufficient despite the fact that the bots are scripted to create replacement accounts literally the instant they get banned.

Accounts aren't free. SE gets paid for each replacement. A fix stops that money flow.

The only way to actually fix this is to make the fix more lucrative than not fixing it to SE.

[KageTokage]

Accounts aren't free. SE gets paid for each replacement. A fix stops that money flow.

The only way to actually fix this is to make the fix more lucrative than not fixing it to SE.

I kind of doubt they're actually paying them for 5K+ accounts on a weekly basis and it's more likely they're making fraudulent charges with stolen credit cards.

The amount of gil they'd need be selling just to break even from that would be utterly ridiculous.

[Kaethra]

I kind of doubt they're actually paying them for 5K+ accounts on a weekly basis and it's more likely they're making fraudulent charges with stolen credit cards.

The amount of gil they'd need be selling just to break even from that would be utterly ridiculous.

Does it matter who pays? At the end of the day SE is still making money.

[Krotoan]

Does it matter who pays? At the end of the day SE is still making money.

If they're fraudulent charges and they get contested, SE gets no money.

[Kaethra]

If they're fraudulent charges and they get contested, SE gets no money.

If they do. Most people simply pay their balance due, and only throw up a red flag when they go over their limit.

Debit is a different story, but banks tend to have better services for detecting irregular charges. I know mine is pretty damn draconian about it. Not that I complain though.

[AxlStream]

What constructive thing is to be said about RMT? Just don't ez pz. Although I do enjoy their presence making the MB barons a bit uneasy about their sales.

[Krotoan]

If they do. Most people simply pay their balance due, and only throw up a red flag when they go over their limit.

Debit is a different story, but banks tend to have better services for detecting irregular charges. I know mine is pretty damn draconian about it. Not that I complain though.

They don't just pay for one account with one card. They activate AS MANY as they can with each card and before the initial free month is over the character is maxxed out and the gil from the leveling and gatherbotting is moved. People wouldn't find an extra 10 dollar charge, but they'd need to have hundreds of card numbers and constantly cycle through them. Easier to just use databases of numbers and just keep going until the cards start declining. You will know if your card number is compromised. This isn't a long con. Then the card gets cancelled/reported, the charges all reverted and the cycle repeats again.

"Ma'am... have you made a large purchase online recently?" "what kind of purchase?" " 300 copies of a video game from Square Enix yesterday?" "... No?"


This isn't some sort of scheme where SE is gleefully raking in money from compromised cards, they're invested in stopping gilbots because it COSTS them money. Mad subscribers, actual people returning the game because they don't want to play on lagged servers. Capacity being used by non-paying customers.


There is substantial loss in it for SE.

[WaterShield]

Accounts aren't free. SE gets paid for each replacement. A fix stops that money flow.

The only way to actually fix this is to make the fix more lucrative than not fixing it to SE.

With fake / stolen credit cards that get charged back... they get nothing from RMT.