CSGO scammer may face up to 8 years in prison for virtual theft

Fariha Bhatti Published 02/02/2021

A Counter-Strike: Global Offensive player is reportedly serving eight years in jail for stealing a CS:GO knife worth $1400.

Virtual cosmetics can be expensive whether it’s in Fortnite, Valorant, or CSGO. However, Valve’s shooter has the oldest player base that has figured out various ways to make money through these rare items. CSGO’s matured trading market is one of the players’ earning resources, often crowded with scammers and fraudsters.

The news of a virtual scammer in CSGO made headlines on Czech National Television, revealing details about the scam. The report states that an investigation was launched on January 17, on account of an in-game cosmetic theft.

The report conveys that the owner of a rare CSGO knife had made a deal to sell the item for thirty thousand crowns, which is approximately $1,400. The seller received a share of the amount and was promised the remaining payment at a later date. However, a failure to commit saw him sentenced to jail.

“He received around $190 deposit and the rest was supposed to be paid during a meetup. But until this day, the injured man hasn’t obtained the full amount,” Pilsen police spokeswoman Veronika Hokrova said.

The Czech Republic has strict regulations on virtual fraud, as a culprit might be forced in jail for as many eight years or more, according to police officers. Internet scams like fraudulent solicitations have become quite common in the past few years. However, this bizarre virtual crime is certainly an unusual occurrence for the Pilson Police. According to the news channel, the local police do not remember dealing with a similar case.

CSGO player to serve jail over knife theft

While weapon skin is not the primary component that makes the game fun, CSGO players take their skins seriously. Rare knives are the most sought-after cosmetics that players would pay top dollars to get their hands on. Only a few cases can unlock these unique knives, later being sold for an exorbitant price in the Steam market.

As visually pleasing as these knives are, keeping them safe can be a bit of a challenge. Accounts with valued cosmetics are susceptible to scams and frauds, which is why steam has a stalwart login system. However, virtual fraudsters can easily deceive the owners into giving up their prized items.

While the crime’s nature may be new to the Czech police, CSGO players are no stranger to such scams. Steam has a robust authentication system, which ensures that your belongings are safe. Players may want to put in some time and activate steam authentication to prevent such frauds from happening.

Fariha Bhatti

About Fariha Bhatti

Fariha Bhatti is a long-time gaming writer who loves competitive FPS games and slots with particularly fun themes. She got her start playing classic games developed by SNK, from legendary fighting game series The King of Fighters to challenging platform franchise Metal Slug. She now spends most of her time playing Valorant and Counter-Strike 2 while working her way through new slot releases to find her next favorite. Fariha has been published at PCGamesN, TalkEsport and ONE Esports.

View full profile