On Sun, 27 Apr 2008 05:46:51 +1000, Rod Speed wrote:

> DavidBee <DavidBee.38een5@no-mx.phorums.com.au> wrote:
>
>> I'm writing this on behalf of my 17 year old daughter.
>
>> Her mobile phone was stolen last month. Someone used it and
>> ran up a bill of over $400.00. When we received the bill we found
>> that the thief made premium SMS calls on the number 19942226
>> which were used to buy credits from the Habbo Hotel. We believe
>> that the person was someone from my daughter's school.
>
>> We're going to make out a police report and the police will require
>> details of the account. Does anyone know the legal situation and the
>> best way to approach it. There are privacy laws, but as this is a
>> criminal act can the police get details of the Habbo Hotel account holder?
>
> Corse the cops can get any details they want when criminal activity like theft is involved.

Isn't "Habbo" based overseas? They may have an Australian arm, but if my
memory serves me correctly, they're based in the UK.

If that's the case, he may have trouble convincing the cops here in
Australia to arrange for the British authorities to obtain and serve a
subpoena in London -- when the subject-matter of their investigation is
$400 worth of Habbo credit. (I doubt Habbo will cough up their
subscriber's details without some form of legal process.)

My suggestion would be for the OP to fax a copy of the police report to
Habbo's head office, together with a letter explaining the situation and
requesting that the credit be refunded (enclosing a copy of the phone bill
highlighting the fraudulent purchases, etc).

He may well get fobbed off, but it'd be a better shot that expecting the
cops to start an trans-national investigation over $400. (Not that you
suggested they would do that.)