- 5 days of trading in CSGO
- Big CS traders
- Money laundering or trade conspiracy?
As a seasoned gamer with years of experience in various online gaming communities, I’ve seen my fair share of unusual transactions and suspicious activities within virtual marketplaces. In the case of CSGO and its Steam Community Market, I’m particularly intrigued by the recent findings regarding potential money laundering or trade conspiracies.
The market for virtual items in video games can allegedly be used for money laundering. This conclusion was reached by researchers Dan Cooke and Angus Marshall in an article with the revealing title Money Laundering Through Video Games: A Criminals’ Playground. The text was published in the digital edition of the Forensic Science International scientific journal (via GamesIndustry.biz).
5 days of trading in CSGO
In their research, the researchers analyzed data from Steam Community Market transactions, focusing mainly on Counter-Strike: Global Offensive item trades during a five-day span in August 2020. Their objective was to explore if methods designed for identifying money laundering could be effective in flagging questionable deals within the digital gaming marketplace.
Researchers took into account the “how often” aspect of trades, looking at not just the total number of exchanges but also repeated deals where identical items were swapped for the same value.
Big CS traders
During this five-day period, an unspecified high-demand item was traded approximately 71,000 times in CS:GO, representing around 14.1% of all virtual trades. Although the researchers didn’t flag this activity as suspicious, almost three-quarters of all transactions involved the top 10 items. It is believed that we are discussing case keys, which function as currency within Counter-Strike.
Based on my extensive experience in the virtual goods trading scene, particularly within CS:GO, I can confidently assert that a small group of individuals dominates the market. In fact, only ten top traders (a mere 0.002% of the community) accounted for an impressive 4.5% of all transactions during the period under investigation. Among these heavyweights, one trader in particular stood out with over 6,000 transactions – a significant figure, accounting for 1.3% of all item sales within CS:GO during that time. This trend wasn’t exclusive to traders; a similar pattern emerged among buyers as well.
The authors point out that it’s highly likely that automated trading, or the use of bots, has taken place based on the observation of repeated transactions: where identical items were sold to the same buyer for the same price. Additionally, researchers have identified some traders who consistently participate in these types of exchanges.
Money laundering or trade conspiracy?
According to recent findings and additional evidence, researchers propose that unusually vigilant traders may be manipulating the market or engaging in some alternate behavior – not just limited to money laundering. The scholars recommend further exploration into the significance of traded items in future investigations.
Among the top 10 active users on our platform, there are four accounts with the following numbers of transactions: 72047, 258680, 77129, and 258115. The fact that these users engage in both buying and selling with such a large volume raises suspicions of market manipulation or unusual activities.
Based on my experience working in the gaming industry and observing various online transactions over the years, I have to admit that the allegations of money laundering through Steam have been a topic of concern for me. Although it’s important to note that these accusations haven’t been definitively proven yet, I cannot ignore the growing body of evidence pointing towards suspicious activities on the platform.
As a gamer, I’ve come across suspicious activities in CS:GO, specifically in CS 2. I’ve noticed this through my own gameplay and reading about it on Reddit. Is it merely scammers at work, an overwhelming number of bot trades, or just plain dirty money being exchanged? Only time will tell if more players will investigate and shed light on this issue.
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2024-07-25 11:32