RuneScape player faces up to 15 years in prison over currency theft
We're passionate about games but this just takes the cake: A RuneScape enthusiast is facing up to 15 years in prison after an alleged attempt to force a fellow gamer to hand over 4.7 billion coins.
According to the New York Post , Humza Bajwa is accused of pulling a realistic-looking gun on David Emani in an attempt to force the transaction. Emani, who was acting as a representative for coin-owner Jonathan Dokler, met Bajwa in a Fordham University classroom and became suspicious when he noticed the $3,300 in cash that Bajwa had agreed to pay looked fake.
Over the phone, Emani advised Dokler to cancel the transaction, but Dokler was keen to continue so a second meeting was arranged for the following night. With a real $100 bill in hand for comparison, Emani accused Bajwa of using fake bills. It was then that Bajwa produced a realistic-looking BB gun. Emani says of the incident, "I couldn't believe I was about to get shot over RuneScape! I was so scared I was about to die."
Once the transaction was completed, Bajwa left Emani unharmed and still in possession of his $100.
Cops busted Bajwa on July 24 after talking to the victims and checking surveillance footage. Bajwa was charged with second-degree robbery and grand larceny and posted $20,000 bail. He faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted.
Friend of PC Gamer, Matt Lees also got strangely corrupted by Runescape's currency many years ago. Read about his exploits here .
The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals
Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.