Real Money Traders—also known as RMT or more widely as “gold sellers”—are players or organized groups who use stolen accounts, credit card information, and other unlawful methods to amass and resell gold or items to players for real money. Selling gold or items in this way, as well as purchasing from these traders, is a violation of the Rules of Conduct, and puts both your game account and credit card information at risk of being stolen.
Below, we talk more about our policy and the actions the Support Team takes when RMT transactions are detected in Guild Wars 2.
How RMT Operates
While real money traders will occasionally purchase brand new accounts to farm and distribute gold, most of their in-game wealth is acquired using hacked or stolen accounts, or by using stolen credit card information to purchase and convert large quantities of gems to gold. They usually target the most vulnerable accounts:
- Accounts that are not properly secured with a strong password.
- Accounts that are not secured with an authentication method.
- Users who are manipulated into providing their account information via a malicious email, also known as “phishing” emails.
- Users who enter their account credentials on an RMT site.
When they obtain an account, RMT will strip the characters of their wealth and gear, funnel wealth to other accounts, or use them as shell accounts to transfer items to players who purchase from their sites.
Credit card information is acquired by RMT hackers through multiple channels, though the most common method is to use information provided directly to them by users who purchase gold or items on their sites. That same information is later used to purchase and convert gems in the game.
Outside of Guild Wars 2, personal information, passwords, and bank data is traded via hacking hubs.
Our Policy on Hacked Accounts
When our Game Surveillance Team detects that an account has been compromised by RMT—whether due to in-game reports, contact by the real account owner, or through queries that track RMT actions—they will work to suspend the account before any damage can be done by the malicious party.
If you are an account owner whose account has been suspended, take a moment to contact the Support Team; we will work with you to recover and secure your account.
Purchasing From RMT: Policy and Actions
Purchasing from a real money trader is against the Rules of Conduct. Players who purchase gold or items from a gold seller may unknowingly be placing their account and credit information in jeopardy, which in turn continues to promote and support malicious RMT in Guild Wars 2.
When the Support Team detects that RMT gold has been sent to an account, their goal is to remove the wealth and items while ensuring that the account is protected against misuse or tampering. Here are the steps that may be taken, depending on the scenario:
- If possible, support will try to remove or recover any funds or items sent by an RMT account and collected by the buyer.
- If the gold or items are collected from the in-game message, it may be subtracted from the user’s wallet or manually removed by a support agent.
- Your password may be reset if we suspect that your account is in threat of being compromised by an RMT seller.
- The account may be temporary locked so an agent can secure any goods received from the RMT seller. During this time, you will see a message saying that your account has been suspended; this is a temporary measure, and we ask that you wait at least one hour before trying to access your account.
- You may be contacted by a support agent to remove / destroy the items collected from the RMT seller.
- In extreme cases, we may roll back the account to remove any skins, items, or other progress that cannot be manually reset. This measure is only taken in the most extreme circumstances.
- If the account is directly linked to RMT—by way of evidence that amounts to more than just receiving items—it may be subject to further account action.
The support team will also work with users who have had their accounts suspended due to being hacked, or due to a mistake that resulted in a suspension. Simply contact the Support Team and let us know what happened!
If You Are Contacted by a Gold Seller
If you are contacted by a gold seller in the game, we recommend reporting and blocking the account. You can do so using the in-game reporting window.
If you suspect you’ve received items or gold from a gold seller or RMT account, the best action is to report the message, return it if it still contains the items, and contact support if you are concerned that further action may be taken. We will work with you to secure your account and track the items back to the RMT account(s).
If You Purchased Gold from an Illegitimate Seller
If you’ve purchased gold from a gold seller or an RMT site, it is recommended that you take a few steps to protect your account and financial information:
- Update your password to your game account! Make sure you select a strong password.
- Secure your account with an authentication method.
- Once the gold and items have been removed or returned, contact the seller to see if you can get a refund.
- If the seller does not offer a refund, contact your bank to file a chargeback against the site.
- If you provided billing information to the RMT site, change the information so your credit card information cannot be used to make unauthorized purchases.
- If you notice unauthorized purchases on your card, contact your bank or financial institution immediately!
Purchasing Via Official Channels
If you are short on gold in the future, we recommend that you utilize official and trusted channels provided in the game: such as the in-game Gem Store, where you can purchase gems that can then be converted to gold, or by purchasing a gem card from an authorized retailer to redeem and unlock gems in the game. These methods will not only ensure that your account is protected, but will help counter the efforts of illegitimate gold sellers in Guild Wars 2.