Cybercrime Unit Says Animal Crossing Not for Adults

[thekitchensink]

Cybercrime Unit Says Animal Crossing Not for Adults

"There is no reason an adult should have this game," says Missouri cybercop.

By Steve Watts, 03/17/2009

You adult fans of Animal Crossing: City Folk had better watch out, because the Mid-Missouri Internet Crimes Task Force is totally on to you. A story from Missouri ABC affiliate KMIZ (via GamePolitics) claims that adults playing the game could have ulterior motives. The report warns that child predators are using kid-friendly games like Animal Crossing to contact kids. "There is no reason an adult should have this game," said Andy Anderson of the task force. Apparently oblivious that adults can have innocent fun with a kids game, the report implies that anyone over 18 playing it is doing so for the "wrong reasons."

"The heart of the game is building relationships with the animals in your town as well as other players," the report states. "To really reach the next level, the game urges you to exchange letters, gifts, and favors." Anderson says the task force doesn't have the resources to keep an eye on the problem, so is warning parents of the risk. It says not to be paranoid about the danger, but that awareness is key. The report states that three children in Missouri have been contacted, but doesn't specify if those contacts were made inside Animal Crossing.

Of course, thanks to Nintendo's Friend Codes, there's no way a predator could actually talk to your kid in Animal Crossing without meeting them. Both parties have to exchange the codes, and each has to register them inside their own system. If your kid has come face-to-face with a child predator and had time to exchange multi-digit codes, a videogame should probably be the least of your worries. You might think a cybercop or the news station covering his comments would point this out, but why let little things like facts get in the way of good sensationalism? 

 

 

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o.O Oh, no!  They're onto my secret turnip-smuggling ring!