The Guardian article really says it all: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/25/china-prisoners-internet-gaming-scam I have bought gold in Warcraft before and now feel like I paid $13 for some Chinese man to get beaten with a plastic pipe for a couple hours, just so my character could move faster. People need to be aware of this... the REAL cost to buying gold. Fucked up. :(