The bot problem is rising and real.

[ICountFrom0]

Ask a unique validation (credit card, or anything else that can play the scope) of the user before create a free/trial account. Problem solved.

The bots arn't on free accounts.

They are on real accounts with stolen credit cards, a few hundred years bought all at once, turned into accounts, and used before the card company catches on

[LalaRu]

The bots arn't on free accounts.

They are on real accounts with stolen credit cards, a few hundred years bought all at once, turned into accounts, and used before the card company catches on

Card is used to buy account time, it is charged back, and account goes banned automatically, without even the need to run a bot over it.

I don't think a resource so (illegally) valuable as a valid (stolen) credit card is being wasted to just create a bot on an online game. Whoever gets that resource will use it for more profitable uses imho.

[Dustytome]

Card is used to buy account time, it is charged back, and account goes banned automatically, without even the need to run a bot over it.

I don't think a resource so (illegally) valuable as a valid (stolen) credit card is being wasted to just create a bot on an online game. Whoever gets that resource will use it for more profitable uses imho.

All they buy up is the starter editions knowing the account isn't likely to last beyond that 30 day time limit that comes with it. They can buy and use them without being traced. They then get money (and likely some free personal information they can sell off) from the customer that is unlikely to be connected to the original fraud in any meaningful way. They do the same thing with those cheap mogstation items on ebay that SE has warned you can be banned for claiming. SE would need to work with law enforcement to pinpoint the buyers and then law enforcement would need to trace where the money is going from there, assuming they can get all the payment system/countries the money is filtering through to cooperate.

[Nythia]

The bots arn't on free accounts.

They are on real accounts with stolen credit cards, a few hundred years bought all at once, turned into accounts, and used before the card company catches on

I find this really concerning considering SE's apparently inaction on the problem.

[TaranTatsuuchi]

I find this really concerning considering SE's apparently inaction on the problem.

It's actually bad for the company, because when the cards are charged back the company has to pay back the money from the purchase, and also have to pay an additional fee due to the charge back.

If it happens enough, banks will stop doing business with them...

[Dirwen]

It's actually bad for the company, because when the cards are charged back the company has to pay back the money from the purchase, and also have to pay an additional fee due to the charge back.

If it happens enough, banks will stop doing business with them...

I'm starting to think these gil sellers are part of a bigger criminal circle if they have access to such a large number of stolen cards. How are law enforcement not taking action is beyond me. SE being a japanese company are probably used to being ruled by a criminal organization like the Yakuza so it might play into why they ignore bots.