online theft

Former Jagex employee Andrew "Mod Jed" Lakeman received a suspended prison sentence of three years for exploiting game mechanics for personal gain by using developer tools to remove items from player accounts and selling them online, amassing over £100,000. He joined Jagex in 2015 and manipulated the game's moderation and account recovery systems to steal valuable items and gold from players. The Cambridge Constabulary stated that the justice system needs to adapt to online crimes. Lakeman previously filed an unfair dismissal counter-complaint in 2022 but did not regain his position at Jagex. In 2023, Lord Justice Popplewell ruled that Lakeman could be held liable for theft of digital assets like RuneScape gold.