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EVE Online: Ponzi Scheme Biggest Scam in EVE Online History

"Phaser Inc.", a small, four member corporation in EVE Online pulled off the largest ever Ponzi Scheme yesterday, netting the corporation, and its two primary members, Eddie Lampert and Mordur Exuel, a staggering 1.8 Trillion ISK (which translates to about $50,000 real-world USD).

Many of you high sec dwellers may have heard of the small four member corporation “Phaser Inc.” It’s two main members, Eddie Lampert and Mordor Exuel, could, up until today, be seen routinely in Jita and other high sec market hubs touting their immensely profitable investment bank in local (“Deposit an investment at Phaser Inc and receive 5% interest on weekly basis. Check www.phaserinc.com for all the details and to register for an account!”). Those days, however, have ended:



Haters gonna hate

Today is the day many expected to come.

Today, the 12th of August 2011, is the day where it all comes together.

Phaser Inc. is done, over, finished.



After a stunning period of eight months, we decided it’s enough.



No more new accounts.

No more mails.

No more payout days.

No more ISK.



No more Phaser Inc.



Most likely, this will cause a lot of questions. The most important question will be answered right here, right now. The ISK is gone; you will not see it ever again. You’ve invested it, got a chance on some profit, but it turned out to be not the best choice you’ve ever made. That’s how investing works. At least, that’s how it went for the most of you.

Read more About the Biggest Ponzi Scheme in EVE Online Ever at EVENews24.com.

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Comments

  • Adam1902Adam1902 Member UncommonPosts: 537

    Heared about this in Teamspeak.

    Bet you they RMT'd all that ISK :P

    _________
    Currently playing: Black Desert Korea (Waiting for EU)

    Always hating on instances in MMOs! Open worlds, open PvP, territory control and housing please. More persistence, more fun.

  • PhryPhry Member LegendaryPosts: 11,004

    thought i recognised the name.. must admit i thought at the time it was probably just some kind of scam.. but fools and their money (isk) are easily parted.. or as another saying goes.. you can't cheat an honest man...  most cons rely on peoples greed to pull off their scams.. well.. i'd say some players will have learned a valuable.. if expensive lesson from this.. image

     

    nice one image

  • OzmodanOzmodan Member EpicPosts: 9,726

    Originally posted by Adam1902

    Heared about this in Teamspeak.

    Bet you they RMT'd all that ISK :P

    You have to be rather naive to think they can RMT any of it.  All large transactions are tracked and especially these investment schemes.  They have a lot of isk that they really cannot spend.  While it might be cool at first, when reality sets in it will not be as great as they thought it would be.

  • DatcydeDatcyde Member UncommonPosts: 573

    noobs treating a game like real life thats what they get :)

  • rtbbvrrtbbvr Member UncommonPosts: 163

    I'm not sure that they can't spend the ISK. EVE doesn't have a policy against scammers.

  • DatcydeDatcyde Member UncommonPosts: 573

    Thats why their noobs

  • Adam1902Adam1902 Member UncommonPosts: 537

    They can spend as much of it as they like within the game, and trust me there are PLENTY of ways to launder large amounts of ISK like that to turn into $$$. Such as buying a v.high skilled character on the trade board and RMTing the account for example.

    Not sure I should be discussing this here, but their are indeed ways to launder mass ISK.

    _________
    Currently playing: Black Desert Korea (Waiting for EU)

    Always hating on instances in MMOs! Open worlds, open PvP, territory control and housing please. More persistence, more fun.

  • tinuelletinuelle Member UncommonPosts: 363

    Yeah, well anyone that didnt understand this to end up like a scam deserves it.

    How are they to pay out weekly with interest in EVE? Its not like they can lend out money at a higher return rate. Lending out money in EVE is so risky, mostly cause you have little way of getting the money back if the loaner wont pay you back. Especially if they also decide to quit the game.

    Hence there is little profit for banking and loans that should give a sensible 5% return.

    Hahaha, I'm laughing all the way to the bank :)

    image
  • sorhiriosorhirio Member Posts: 8

    Heh.   Bout time they are gone got tired of their spamming in local.    Anyone stupid enough to fall for tat deserves it.

    blah

  • BeansnBreadBeansnBread Member EpicPosts: 7,254

    There were a couple of accounts that had 30+ billion isk invested.

     

    "Hey buddy, here's my life savings. You're going to give me money later, right?"

    "Yup!"

    *shakes hand*

    "Alrighty, everything seems to be in order."

  • xZeRGzxZeRGz Member Posts: 118

    Things never change, people do.

     

    A fool and his / her money...

  • FadedbombFadedbomb Member Posts: 2,081

    Originally posted by Ozmodan

    Originally posted by Adam1902

    Heared about this in Teamspeak.

    Bet you they RMT'd all that ISK :P

    You have to be rather naive to think they can RMT any of it.  All large transactions are tracked and especially these investment schemes.  They have a lot of isk that they really cannot spend.  While it might be cool at first, when reality sets in it will not be as great as they thought it would be.

     

    ACTUALLY it IS as good as they thought it would be. Those were "Fall" characters, they were 2nd accounts used PRIMARILY for that scam.

    All they'll do now is transfer it ALL to their main characters and spend it like it's 1945. Seriously, they'll probably heavily invest it into throwaway suicide-tengus or something :P.

    The Theory of Conservative Conservation of Ignorant Stupidity:
    Having a different opinion must mean you're a troll.

  • cosycosy Member UncommonPosts: 3,228
    this is awesome part of EvE

    BestSigEver :P
    image

  • Theexile73Theexile73 Member Posts: 1

    Originally posted by Fadedbomb

    Originally posted by Ozmodan


    Originally posted by Adam1902

    Heared about this in Teamspeak.

    Bet you they RMT'd all that ISK :P

    You have to be rather naive to think they can RMT any of it.  All large transactions are tracked and especially these investment schemes.  They have a lot of isk that they really cannot spend.  While it might be cool at first, when reality sets in it will not be as great as they thought it would be.

     

    ACTUALLY it IS as good as they thought it would be. Those were "Fall" characters, they were 2nd accounts used PRIMARILY for that scam.

    All they'll do now is transfer it ALL to their main characters and spend it like it's 1945. Seriously, they'll probably heavily invest it into throwaway suicide-tengus or something :P.

     

    It wouldn't surpise me if the guys are alts from one of the corps with ambition, i smell war being planned. And still, looking at the game, they did exzactly what CCP says the game should be "A sandbox, where every desission you make is of consiquence" (sorry for my spelling) so you gotta hand it to them, thumbs up for even trying AND pulling it off.

    I just don't agree what they did though :P

  • KyleranKyleran Member LegendaryPosts: 43,435

    amazing that anyone falls for this, but happens in RL too so I shouldn't be surprised

    "True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde 

    "I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant

    Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm

    Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV

    Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™

    "This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon






  • Xondar123Xondar123 Member CommonPosts: 2,543

    In real life there are laws against stuff like this. The fact that no such laws exist in the EVE universe means that EVE is actually lawless.

    I can't see this as being anything other than a black mark against EVE, at least where the non-hardcore player is concerned.

  • barasawabarasawa Member UncommonPosts: 618

    Last time I checked CCP didn't care even the slightest about con games, just so long as nobody cheats the Eve game itself. (No hacks, mods, etc.)  

    Every time in the past I've seen someone talk someone else into giving them ISK through sweet talk and lies, then ran off with it laughing all the way, CCP just admonished the victim for being stupid and suggested they don't do anything that dumb again.

    Will those guys get away with the money, and maybe even turn it into real world cash?  Easily, CCP doesn't care since they didn't hack the game, they just bilked the gullible.

    Will this ever happen again?  Let's put it this way, I'd bet there are at least 3 or 4 other scams running right now, even if they aren't as ambitious as "Phaser Inc" was.

     

    In a game where the only repurcusion to stealing is to be badmouthed, there are going to be a lot of thieves and con artists.  Don't trust anyone with your account, money, or property.

    Lost my mind, now trying to lose yours...

  • HaradekHaradek Member Posts: 47

    This why Eve is the great game that it is. It is not for the faint hearted. CCP provided the game field. Players make the rules. As it was said in Mad Max...welcome to Thunderdome, 2 men enter, one man leaves. Those are the only rules.

    Haradek Shadowstalker
    EQ,EQII,SWG,AO,DAOC,Planetside,COH,WOW

  • JakdstripperJakdstripper Member RarePosts: 2,410

    Originally posted by Xondar123

    In real life there are laws against stuff like this. The fact that no such laws exist in the EVE universe means that EVE is actually lawless.

    I can't see this as being anything other than a black mark against EVE, at least where the non-hardcore player is concerned.

     of course EvE is lawless, it's like the friken wild west in space. always been.

     

    i'm sorry but nobody else is to blame here except those poor sods that gave their isks away without any concrete collateral. just too damn funny.

  • Xondar123Xondar123 Member CommonPosts: 2,543

    Originally posted by Jakdstripper

    Originally posted by Xondar123

    In real life there are laws against stuff like this. The fact that no such laws exist in the EVE universe means that EVE is actually lawless.

    I can't see this as being anything other than a black mark against EVE, at least where the non-hardcore player is concerned.

     of course EvE is lawless, it's like the friken wild west in space. always been.

     

    i'm sorry but nobody else is to blame here except those poor sods that gave their isks away without any concrete collateral. just too damn funny.

    Just once I'd like to see a government in EVE going after these scammers. The Calderi don't care that people got bilked in their space? Not bloody likely.

  • DatcydeDatcyde Member UncommonPosts: 573

     I think CCP might save accounts if they implement a genius way to secure your money from these type of scams.

  • KostKost Member CommonPosts: 1,975

    Originally posted by Xondar123

    Just once I'd like to see a government in EVE going after these scammers. The Calderi don't care that people got bilked in their space? Not bloody likely.


     

    They should have known better, people were informing others that these two were scammers for months in various comm channels. Yet. these rubes chose to "invest" anyway lol.

    EvE is quite possibly the greatest game ever, but when you lack common sense bad things can happen to you. This incident is a prime example of that occuring.

  • jackocompjackocomp Member UncommonPosts: 50

    Yep that ISK quite possibly all ended up on the RMT market just like the huge amounts that are ALWAYS going throuh it from a few other places (Alliances)

     

    It's a great scam & more fool those that were only too willing to give their ISK away. As the saying goes, "If something sounds to good to be true then there is a great chance it is"!

     

    There does need to be something better than the current systems though for being able to track these people down ingame & get their asses fried over & over again. Just how that could be done I have no idea but am sure someone would have some great ideas..

     

    Will this be THE biggest ever & always stay that way? Possibly when the game is loosing players at the rate it currently is due to the rampant Trade in INGAME currency (ISK) for Real world money (RMT). It could also be due to the terrible balance issues that are currently deciding who owns what in 0.0 (Outlaw Space) & to a smaller extent in LowSec. Either way the number of people logging in on a daily basis has dropped by up to & sometimes over 12k which is not good for many reasons.

     

    Anyway well done to those that pulled it off as long as the ISK didn't  get funneled into the RMT system

  • itchmonitchmon Member RarePosts: 1,999

    things like this just make me want to give eve a big hug :D

    RIP Ribbitribbitt you are missed, kid.

    Currently Playing EVE, ESO

    Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and not clothed.

    Dwight D Eisenhower

    My optimism wears heavy boots and is loud.

    Henry Rollins

  • TerminatusTerminatus Member Posts: 104

    Aaaaah Eve... that great game of cesspool  of social interaction... :)

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