Strengthening Enforcement Against Real Money Trading (RMT) Activity

We strongly encourage players to refrain from engaging with these groups, as there would be no reason for RMT vendors to exist if players do not use their services.
Players use their services because there is no penalty for doing so.

Because there are players willing to use their services, banning accounts related to RMT sales has little effect. They simply make a new account with part of the profits from their previous transaction, knowing that the profits made with the new account can be used to start yet another account when it gets banned in turn.

If you want to shut down RMT, you need to shut down those who are funding their industry - the buyers. That's only going to happen if you start aggressively pursuing them, penalize them in a meaningful fashion then publicize that pursuit and the resulting penalty. Make it clear to other players who are considering RMT that it is not worth it.

That doesn't have to mean permanently banning an account for a first offense. Some players (especially younger ones) may not really understand the serious problems caused by RMT. But a 30 day ban with an accompanying explanation of how RMT impacts the game for everyone should send the message loud and clear to those willing to listen.

Those not willing to listen that are caught a second time? Permanently ban the account. Take away everything that player has worked to get for the past several months.

Those found to be engaging in RMT would of course have the chance to appeal their bans. False positives can happen.

It's also a good way to collect some very funny stories from the cheaters that can be used to help publicize the actions that are being taken against RMT buyers and the futile excuses some use trying to escape punishment. Player names would not be used since that would be a privacy violation. The player names could be replaced with the names of FF franchise villains for additional entertainment, and potentially attract even more attention in the player community to the problems caused by RMT.

But honestly, SE. If you truly want to do something about RMT activity, you need to go after those who create the need for the RMT services in the first place and you need to make it very clear that you are doing so. Any business will end up going out of business if they can't get enough customers.

That's how you need to fight RMT - drive away their customers.