Terrorist Financing in Online Gaming Platforms

Date: November 19, 2026

Time: 12:00 - 1:30 ET
Type: Virtual (Zoom link will be sent before the event)

Topic: Money Laundering through Online Gaming Platforms

Event Summary:

Multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) such as Fortnite, World of Warcraft, and Roblox are extremely popular online games with an extensive in-game international economy. Rare items can go for hundreds or even thousands of dollars. These items are purchased by first buying virtual in-game currency. The online video game economy provides a fast, simple and easy way to launder money or finance terrorism. It is also not regularly investigated by police and online games are not suspicious to law enforcement. Gamers also use specific cultural and sub-cultural language and acronyms when communicating which are sometimes hard for a casual observer to understand, further obstructing their illicit activities. This session will explore indicators of money laundering and terrorist financing through MMORPGS, explain gamer subculture in plain language, and provide general guidance to fraud examiners to identify this method of laundering.

Speaker: Kayla Cooper

Kayla Cooper has 11 years of experience in criminal intelligence, dealing with organized crime, serious fraud, crimes against children, and counter-terrorism. Her focus is internet-facilitated crime, particularly in niche online subcultures. She holds a Master of Science in International Criminal Justice and Intelligence from the University of Portsmouth, an undergraduate in political science from Queen’s University, as well as certificates from the Canadian Police College in strategic intelligence analysis, tactical intelligence analysis, open-source intelligence, and advanced open-source intelligence.