Authorities probe game character theft

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TAVSANLI, Turkey, Dec. 27 (UPI) -- Authorities in Turkey said they are investigating after a college student reported someone hacked his Knight Online game account and stole his character.

Ahmet Kaya, 18, of Kutahya province, said he spent eight years developing his character in the multiplayer role-playing game and he eventually decided to put the character up for sale, Hurriyet Daily News/Dogan News Agency reported Thursday.

"My character costs about 2,500 Turkish Liras ($1,396.96) in the market, but I needed money urgently, so I was selling it for 600 Turkish Liras ($335.27)," Kaya said.

The student said he received an email and a phone call from an interested buyer, but he soon discovered his email account information had been stolen and the perpetrator used the information to access his account in the game and steal his character.

The public prosecutor of the Tavsanli district said the case is being investigated on suspicion of "hindering, spoiling, effacing or modifying of an information system."