Eleven suspects in a case of writing and distributing computer viruses receive trial at a court in Xuzhou City, Jiangsu province, Dec 16, 2009. [Xinhua]
A court in East China Wednesday handed down jail terms of up to three years to 11 people for their roles in writing and distributing viruses designated to steal usernames and passwords of online games.
Lv Yizhong and Zeng Yifu wrote Trojan horse viruses that were used to steal 5.3 million usernames and passwords of online games, found the Gulou District People's Court in Xuzhou city, Jiangsu province.
Yan Renhai, his girlfriend Chen Huiting and dozens other agents sold or used the viruses to steal online game coins and virtual equipment for illegal gains, the court said.
Lv and Zeng made 646,000 yuan ($94,597) in illegal gains, and Yan and Chen made 310,000 yuan.
Lv was sentenced to three years in jail and Zeng two and a half years. Yan was sentenced to two years and eight months and Chen, two years, in prison, according to the court.
The 11 also received a total fine of 833,000 yuan ($121,980).
A total of 80 people from 16 provinces and municipalities were involved in the 30-million-yuan case. Dozens others in the case are to receive court sentences in the near future.>
