Gold farming, generally ,OSRS gold is the custom of grinding into a game specifically for the purpose of generating in-game money or other content to be traded for real world money. As soon as it's illegal by Runescape's rules, it is also a relatively safe and comfortable job in a place where one's safety is by no means guaranteed.

"I gold plantation mostly for the raw benefits of it," a participant who goes by the handle Fhynal explained via DMs. "I do not have to venture out. That may sound strange, but we live with a lot of crime.

Fhynal stated he earns around 200,000-250,000 Venezuelan Bolivares, or roughly $US15-$US20 ($19-$26), per week.

For Fhynal, it's only enough to make ends meet for himself and his mother, so long as inflation does not hurl food costs to the stratosphere.

"In fact, there are those who, when they didn't play, they could not eat and would die of hunger," a former Runescape farmer who wished to cheap Runescape gold stay anonymous told me on Facebook. "I have friends who play daily and if they do not play, they don't eat daily."

Increasingly more Venezuelans are growing wise to the benefits of gold farming. Earlier this year, a local newspaper printed an article on the process.