打機兼洗錢

電競並非打機那麼簡單？對，不止是要求手眼協調和測試反應的年輕人麻醉劑，亦非老人家趕上潮流的消閒玩意或回春靈藥，而是犯罪份子眼中的理想洗黑錢渠道。原因如下：

1. 網絡遊戲容許參與者開設戶口，然後用真金白銀（或偷來的信用卡）購買虛擬武器，或累積了虛擬貨幣 (Virtual currencies) 或虛擬資產 (Virtual assets)，提供了儲存價值 (Store value) 的功能，作用等同現實世界中的貨幣，但沒有官方認證也不受監管。

2. 參與者可以透過交出戶口，或透過（由第三者提供的）網上交易平台或（虛假的）社交媒體帳戶買賣虛擬貨幣或虛擬資產或虛擬武器，從而達到轉移犯罪收入的真正目的。網上世界無國界，有利於轉移犯罪收入。

3. 這個行業還沒有發展出統一以及跨國的監管制度（相反舊經濟例如商業銀行早已發展出一套跨國的監管制度），遊戲供應商亦不需要核實或查證參與者的身份。相比之下，早已被視作洗黑錢高危的舊經濟行業例如賭場或金融業卻需要 Know your customer (KYL)，結果令內部合規 (Internal compliance) 成本增加，做生意綁手綁腳。換言之，跟舊經濟比較，電競產業或網絡遊戲的優勢在於：不受監管＋低成本＋網上操作，對犯罪份子有利。

4. 這個行業有黑客出沒，他們入侵或盜取網絡遊戲戶口內所累積的分數或虛擬貨幣或虛擬資產或虛擬武器，然後在網上轉售。因為是跨國罪案，受害人求助無門。現實世界的法律以國界為基礎，不利於對付跨國的網上罪案。對犯罪份子來說是好事，因為可以利用監管制度的漏洞洗黑錢，然後逃之夭夭。

5. 香港背靠祖國，是國產貪官的理財中心，對洗黑錢服務有龐大需求。黑客的供應也不成問題，大陸有很多失業青年願意加入黑客大軍，國家訓練出來的又有（提示：中國人民解放軍國防科技大學）。在香港推動電競產業，讓更多人參與打機，做大個餅，既可以方便需要洗黑錢的貪官，又可以供養國產的黑客大軍。過程中，又可以動用特區政府的公帑，亦即是用港人的血汗錢孝敬國家，同時為兒孫儲備愛國積分，一舉數得。至於讀書不成的電競英雄的奮鬥故事或政治立場（提示：光復香港！），是用來轉移視線的「正能量」，是檯面的那一套，因為檯底的那一套，不方便公開講。

結論：所以你會見到建制派議員要求特區政府用公帑推動電競產業的發展。表面上的理由，是電競產業可望成為經濟增長的新動力，甚至成為正式的國際運動比賽項目，又可以為年輕人提供出路（沉迷打機不會上街抗爭），一舉數得。建制派沒有說出來的動機（即：打機兼洗錢），是利益輸送或為國盡忠，明白未？

插圖來源：www.fotosearch.com

參考資料／延伸閱讀：

Gaming the System: Money Laundering Through Online Games
By Anton Moiseienko and Kayla Izenman
RUSI Newsbrief (11 October 2019)
Centre for Financial Crime and Security Studies, AML/CTF
https://rusi.org/publication/rusi-newsbrief/gaming-system-money-laundering-through-online-games
Extract: This includes, for instance, artefacts that vest the player’s character with additional powers (such as swords, armour, and magic potions) or ‘currency’ that can be used to purchase them. Online games are not regulated, which means there are no clear expectations of what game operators can or should do to identify criminal activity. In other instances, in-game items are traded unofficially on online marketplaces extraneous to the game. This underground trade has historically been closely related to ‘gold farming’, the practice of playing online games specifically to obtain valuable items and resell them to other gamers.

Since in-game items can be used to store value, some may be tempted to convert illicit income into them. In January 2019, cyber security firm Sixgill published its findings on money laundering through V-bucks, an in-game currency used in the online computer game Fortnite. According to Sixgill, criminals were using stolen bank card details to buy V-bucks from the official Fortnite store and then selling them at a discounted rate to other players on the dark web or through social media platforms.

In essence, buying in-game items with stolen card details is no different from the online purchase of any good, tangible or intangible, with stolen card details. The primary responsibility for detecting this criminal activity lies with the payment processing company. That said, the gaming company can possess valuable intelligence about the criminal’s in-game activities, such as interactions with other players, which may shed light on their identity or expose criminal networks. According toTrendMicro, some scam websites offering in-game items for sale require customers to disclose their gaming login details, thus giving hackers access to their account. As early as 2012, the same company reported that computer game hacking is especially widespread in China given its large gaming community. In August 2019, FireEye alleged that APT41, a leading Chinese cyber-criminal group, was systematically targeting the video game industry, and in one case ‘in less than three hours the group generated tens of millions of dollars of a popular game’s virtual currency [which was then] most likely sold and laundered in underground markets’ (p. 19).

The expanding international and domestic regulation of virtual currencies, also known as virtual assets, may have played its part. In October 2018, the FATF updated its Recommendations so as to require states to regulate and licence or register virtual asset service providers (VASPs). The FATF uses the following definition of virtual assets: ‘A virtual asset is a digital representation of value that can be digitally traded, or transferred, and can be used for payment or investment purposes’. Both in the physical world and online, whether a currency or commodity is valuable depends on whether people treat it as such. As the prices of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies demonstrate, a virtual currency can acquire significant economic value in the eyes of the public. If in-game items can be traded, officially or unofficially, there is a strong argument that they meet the FATF’s virtual asset definition. Since many games do not intend their items to be traded, it is arguably unfair for the game operator to bear the burdens of AML/CTF regulation solely on account of in-game items being traded through an unauthorised third-party website.

Counter-terrorists win
Financial crime through video games is on the rise
The creators of Counter-Strike says criminals have used it
The Economist (Nov 7, 2019)
https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2019/11/07/financial-crime-through-video-games-is-on-the-rise?fsrc=scn/li/te/bl/ed/financialcrimethroughvideogamesisontherisecounterterroristswin
Extract: For people who enjoy being (virtually) shot in the head by foul-mouthed teenagers, Counter-Strike has long led the field. The game, developed by Valve Corporation, pits a team of terrorists against an anti-terrorist commando squad in a fight to the death. But Counter-Strike has appealed to more than just twitchy young men of late. On October 28th Valve announced it was stopping the trading between players of “container keys”— an in-game gambling device that players can buy (with real money) to try to win (virtual) rewards such as special weapons or clothing. The firm says “nearly all” of the trades of such keys were “believed to be fraud-sourced”. It is a rare admission of the growing problem of using video games to facilitate financial crime.

The company has released no further details, and did not reply to a request for information from The Economist. But it seems likely that the keys, which were bought with stolen credit cards, were then traded between accounts on Steam’s marketplace. Players cannot withdraw real money from their accounts, but in-game credit can be used to buy new virtual rewards or games. There is a burgeoning market (on third-party websites) for accounts already loaded up with virtual cash. Criminals can cash out by selling to gamers keen to acquire games or virtual items cheaply.

Asia Society
China and Cyber-Espionage
By Jamie Metzl
https://asiasociety.org/policy/strategic-challenges/china-and-cyber-espionage
Extract: A number of people have asked me how I made the determination described in my Wall Street Journal editorial last Wednesday that China may be one of the world’s worst state perpetrators of cyber-espionage and malicious computer hacking. Although I have spoken with a number of American officials with access to classified information who have made this assertion with great passion, I do not have access to any of these classified documents. Instead, I have decided to lay out the evidence gleaned from public sources. If there is more evidence making the case that China is involved in these activities on an official or quasi-official level, please add it in a reply to this blog post.

中國人民解放軍國防科技大學（簡體字）
https://www.nudt.edu.cn/

百度百科：中國人民解放軍國防科技大學（簡體字）
https://baike.baidu.com/item/中国人民解放军国防科技大学/22036157?fronttitle=国防科技大学&formid=1633273
節錄：中國人民解放國防科技大學（National University of Defense Technology），由中國共產黨中央軍事委員會直屬，前身是 1953 年創建於哈爾濱的中國人民解放軍軍事工程學院，創建時毛澤東親自為學院頒發＜訓詞＞。

特區政府新聞公報 (2018-03-28)
立法會十八題：推動電子競技產業的發展
https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201803/28/P2018032800304.htm
節錄：以下是今日（三月二十八日）在立法會會議上吳永嘉議員的提問和創新及科技局局長楊偉雄的書面答覆：問題：據報，近年玩電子遊戲已由一般的消閒活動發展為電子競技（電競）。二○一六年全球電競產業的市場規模已達 4.6 億美元，可見電競已成為經濟增長新動力。有不少國家及地區定期開辦電競的培訓課程和舉辦職業聯賽，並已把電競列為體育項目。另一方面，財政司司長在公布二○一八至一九年度《財政預算案》時表示，政府會向數碼港撥款 1 億元，用於把數碼港商場發展為電競及數碼娛樂熱點，為電競比賽提供場地，以推動電競產業的發展。就此，政府可否告知本會：（一）會否考慮（i）在各區設立室內或室外的電競場地，以及（ii）調整體育政策，把電競列為體育項目；若會，詳情為何；若否，原因為何；（二）鑑於數碼港在今年二月向政府提交的《推動香港電競發展報告》中提出多項推動電競發展的建議，當中包括透過提供訓練，培養專業及業餘電競人才，政府會否鼓勵各大專院校開辦電競文憑及學士學位課程，以提升電競人才及其專業地位的認受性，從而吸引更多青年加入電競行業；若會，詳情為何；若否，原因為何；

立法會議員履歷：吳永嘉
https://www.legco.gov.hk/general/chinese/members/yr16-20/nwk.htm
選舉組別：功能界別 – 工業界（第二）
所屬政治團體：香港經濟民生聯盟（提示：梁美芬）

香港經濟民生聯盟
https://www.bpahk.org/

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