The 17-year-old is suspected of cheating players of Habbo Hotel and stealing virtual items they bought with real cash, according to The Guardian. The teenager is suspected of stealing 4,000 euros worth of virtual furniture. The name of the accused has not been disclosed.
Five other teenagers are also being questioned on their involvement in the theft. The accused created fake Habbo websites and
lured other players to submit their passwords.
Habbo Hotel users can create their own characters, decorate their virtual hotel rooms, play games, all by paying real cash. The website, with 6 million users each month, is popular among youngsters across the world.
There has been an increase in virtual theft cases with sites like World of Warcraft and Second Life getting more popular. The sale of virtual goods for Internet games is booming and the market is pegged at £750m a year, The Guardian says.
