One of the most popular applications on the social networking site Facebook is Zynga Poker, an application that allows users of Facebook to play poker against friends, family and strangers from around the world, much like any other poker site except this one is played for a virtual currency rather than actual money.
Although no real money changes hands between players on the site, it is possible to buy extra virtual chips to top up those that are awarded to new players when they sign up for an account and by all accounts Zynga do very well financially from players wanting to buy what is essentially worthless currency.
Wherever there is money involved there will always be someone looking to get their hands on it cheaply or illegitimately and Zynga Poker is no different. Ashley Mitchell, a 29-year old man from Paignton, Devon, UK, now faces a jail term after admitting that he hacked into the servers of Zynga Corporation and "stole" no less than 400 billion chips from them! He then used a well-known auction site to sell these chips for £430 per billion and had made profits of £53,000 by the time he was tracked down. Had he managed to sell all 400 billion he would have made £184,000, however had Zynga sold this many through the proper channels they would have made a staggering $12,000,000!
Judge Phillip Wassall informed Mitchell that he would face a substantial jail term for his "sophisticated" offences, which were likened to steal from the National Mint. Mitchell pleaded guilty to four charges of converting criminal property and a fifth charge of violating the Computer Misuse Act.
Unsurprisingly, this is not the first occasion that Mitchell has used his obvious talents for a dastardly deed, as back in 2008 he was given a suspended 40-week jail sentence for hacking his former employees website and altering information there so he would receive a payment of £3,498. This latest offence violates the conditions set by that particular sentence.
Mitchell's defence solicitor, Ben Derby informed Exeter Crown Court that these offences took part whilst his client was "wrestling a gambling addiction" that had seen him lose more than £3,000 to online games. Mitchell was remanded in custody until a date for his trial can be decided.
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