If you’ve ever installed an auction hall mod in World of Warcraft or added a mood hack to your Sims 4 install, put down your mouse and back away slowly from your computer: You could be on the road to crime!
That’s only a slightly hyperbolic takeaway from a statement made by the UK’s National Crime Agency as pointed out to us by MOP reader Sally Bowls. Following its inaugural booth attendance at last week’s EGX event, the agency told Motherboard that it was hoping to “educate” all you rapscallions who cheat at and mod video games as you’re at risk for lawlessness.
“We have undertaken analysis on pathways into cyber crime offending and can conclude that some young people who have an interest in online games may begin to participate in gaming cheat websites and ‘modding.’ This has the potential to progress to criminal hacking forums and use of low level cybercrime services like DDOS for hire. We are therefore at the event to speak to young people who may be vulnerable to becoming involved in cybercrime and promote lawful career pathways.”
The NCA, roughly akin to the FBI here in the US, said it hoped to promote ethical hacking, but a representative admitted that it’s not actually recruiting ethical hackers.
The agency should probably keep a keen eye on modders like this one for sure.
