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Dutch teen arrested for stealing virtual furniture


So, try to follow us on this one. A 17-year-old in the Netherlands was arrested for stealing €4,000 worth of virtual property -- specifically, furniture in the online world of Habbo Hotel.

For the uninitiated, Habbo Hotel is a massively-multiplayer online world, based around 2D graphics and blocky, pixelated avatars interacting in a series of inter-connected, isometric rooms. At the heart of Habbo is the collection of furniture and accessories, which are acquired with the in-game currency, which is in turn acquired by forking over real cash for its equivalent amount in Habbo Coins.

Still with us? Good. The 17-year-old in question reportedly used a phishing scam to obtain the passwords of various Habbo Hotel players. Once logged in as those characters, the teenager -- along with five 15-year-old accomplices -- were able to steal the victims' furniture by moving the pieces from the owners' rooms to the suspect's. The accomplices were questioned, but the only arrest made so far was for the 17-year-old. Crime just doesn't pay, kiddies. Even when it's adorable.