Chinese Hackers May have Stolen $2 Million from Xbox users since 2015

China’s been the new wild west of the software world for a while now. While it’s big enough to make huge economic waves and has an audience of over a billion people who are hungry to consume mass media, complicated copyright law and censorship means that entering the Chinese marketplace is more than just a headache, it could be an opportunity to let your stuff get stolen, changed, or manipulated without you being able to do much about it. That was perhaps one of the biggest reason console developers were hesitant to launch there, saying nothing for the whole “consoles are banned here” thing that had gripped the country.

But just because China is difficult to manage doesn’t mean it’s impossible, as Microsoft has just filed a complaint to the federal court over a Chinese gaming website that has been hacking Xbox accounts since 2015 as their primary form of “business”. This website, called iGSKY, offers players a way to pay for in-game credits and rare items, but Microsoft alleges those goodies were all stolen from other people’s accounts. Upwards of 2 million was stolen this way. As they told The Verge:

“Microsoft is committed to providing customers with safe and secure online experiences. We filed these lawsuits to protect our Xbox customers from the illegal trafficking of stolen property.”

They’re charging the company of Fraud, FCAA violations, and racketeering conspiracy against both the company and its alleged parent company Gameest. Given that it’s in China, directly shutting down the site might not be in the cards, but so far Federal courts have been receptive to Microsoft, freezing the company’s domestic assets, such as Paypal accounts.

Good to see Microsoft jumping on this, and not getting complacent or deciding not to mess with China’s sometimes archaic legal system. Here’s hoping it goes well.