Overview
- Former Jagex developer Andrew Lakeman pleaded guilty and on Thursday was given a three-year prison term suspended for two years, plus 150 hours of unpaid work and a 25-day rehabilitation requirement.
- Jagex uncovered the theft in 2018 after its support team spotted suspicious account recoveries and ran a covert probe that traced the activity to Lakeman’s devices and home.
- Investigators found Lakeman sold stolen in-game gold and items on secondary markets and had banked more than £364,829 from cryptocurrency-linked receipts, with device searches showing messages about profiting from the scheme.
- The UK Court of Appeal earlier this year ruled that Old School RuneScape gold can be classed as property capable of theft, a legal finding that enabled criminal charges and will guide future prosecutions.
- A Proceeds of Crime process to recoup the funds is underway and due to conclude in February 2027, a step that will determine how much of the traced money is returned to victims or the state.