- The world’s largest Online Marketplace, G2A.com, has reached a voluntary arrangement with Wube Software as part of its efforts to fight online fraud
- G2A.com has honored its commitment to compensating developers ten times the value of any chargeback costs
G2A has reached a voluntary settlement with Prague-based software company Wube, following an investigation into the sale of Factorio CD keys on G2A Marketplace. In reaching this settlement, G2A has honored an offer made to compensate games developers who could prove that illegitimate keys to their games had been sold via G2A Marketplace.
Wube took G2A up on this offer, alleging that illegitimate keys to its construction and management simulation game Factorio had been sold online in 2016.
Wube reported to G2A a list of 321 keys that had been bought via Wube’s own store using stolen credit cards. An investigation confirmed that 198 of these keys had then been sold on via the G2A Marketplace between March 2016 – June 2016. It is assumed by both parties that the remaining 123 illegitimate keys were sold via other marketplaces or online stores.
Per the terms of its pledge, G2A has agreed to compensate Wube ten times the value of any bank-initiated refund costs that Factorio paid in relation to illegitimate keys sold via its Marketplace. The compensation comes as both parties agree G2A neither encouraged nor gained from the fraud perpetrated through its marketplace.
Commenting on the voluntary settlement, Bartosz Skwarczek, G2A CEO, said: “Our vision is to create the world’s most safe, secure and user-friendly e-commerce platform for gamers and geeks. When we launched this offer, we wanted to make that message clear and demonstrate to the gaming community fraud hurts all parties. It directly hurts individuals who buy illegitimate keys, it hurts gaming developers and it hurts marketplaces, such as G2A, because we are forced – as the transaction facilitator – to cover costs related to the sale.”
Scott Klonan, PR, Community & Support manager at Wube commented “We greatly appreciated the depth of the investigation G2A conducted into the sale of the keys. Fraud hurts all parties. In some respects, the chargeback costs from card companies are a hidden element to online fraud. It’s good to see G2A helping to raise awareness of this issue and following through on its commitment to the community to fight back against fraud and help lessen the impact of these changes.”
What is G2A doing to combat the sale of illegitimate keys via its platform?
G2A has zero tolerance for fraud on its platform and has multiple processes in place counter any attempts to defraud developers or buyers alike.
One of the key protective measures is the verification system we have with our seller community to ensure everyone offering products on our platform is an honest dealer. Each seller wishing to use our marketplace needs to thoroughly verify their identity with G2A to transact on the platform, and anyone with turnover of over $1000 needs to be a registered company (providing all necessary details to G2A).
In addition, G2A cooperates closely with local authorities around the world and regularly shares information regarding any illegal activity that it becomes aware of.
G2A has also rolled out a series of solutions to support the developer community’s fight against online fraud. In 2016 G2A launched G2A Direct – where developers can monitor which keys to their titles are being sold via G2A Marketplace and gain 10% from the sale of their intellectual property by third-parties.
G2A has also developed sophisticated tools and processes that monitor, detect and fight fraud at every step of the purchasing process, including:
- G2A utilizes strict AML/KYC procedures for verifying its network of sellers. The onboarding procedure meets the highest industry standards and requires sellers to share official verification documents before setting up their accounts. In addition, once a seller achieves over $1000 turnover, they will need to register as a business, supplying all a wide variety of documentation to prove that their business is legal, including certificates of incorporation and tax identification numbers.
- Over 100 specialists monitor the G2A Marketplace to ensure that auctions and transactions are safe and secure.
- G2A Marketplace also leverages a multi-layer methodology, powered by AI, to identify suspicious buyer activity and risky transactions before they happen. This technology is augmented by G2A’s human teams to score a potential risk, based on data indicating factors such as the identity of a user, geolocation, their device, their activity and behaviour, as well as their account history.
G2A.COM is the world’s largest digital marketplace for gamers, making gaming trading simpler, safer and more affordable for everyone. Founded in 2010, the company has soon launched what is now the one-stop platform for over 20 million gamers and geeks. It connects buyers and sellers around the world, enabling them to trade games, hardware and gadgets at a discounted rate, all in one place. For more information, visit www.g2a.co and www.g2a.com.
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