Valve got a video game hacker caught by tricking him into thinking they had a job for him!

Half-Life 2 was developed by the company Valve back in 2003. It was mostly just a rumor until the network of the company was cracked and the game’s source code and multiple other files such as maps, models, and even a playable version were leaked.

The CEO of Valve, Gabe Newell, posted a public plea in the game’s forums for people to help him out if they know anything about the hacking. Amazingly, he got a response.

Newell received correspondence from a German black-hat hacker named Acel “Ago” Gembe. It turns out this was the hacker responsible for the leak, yet Newell didn’t scare him off with threats of police.

Instead, he convinced the hacker that there was actually a job waiting for him in America at Valve should he want it. Newell was so convincing, Gembe actually got on a plane!

Upon landing he was immediately arrested by the FBI. A startlingly stupid end for someone who had brilliantly hacked an entire network!