Ahoy!
These are the precise "exploits" which make my blood boil, pirates who make it their sole mission in the game to Bully and cause Grief to other pirates.
Sadly, this is in most instances the use of "Third Party Programs" which allow them to alter the game both Client and Server end.
Also just as sadly, the solution someone raised of resetting their account and removing their Weapons/Items... I regret to inform you, the same program they are using also enables them to alter their "Rusty Cutlass" to behave just like a "World Eater Blade" and they can also make their pirate
ANY level they like.
Worse still,
MANY of these pirates are also using the same hacking software to also emulate Unlimited Access, which means that they don't pay anyway.
Sadly, Disney really only have one solution to really fix the game, sorry to say but they need to restart from scratch and use a more sophisticated "Programming Language", since the one they currently use is the reason MANY not all of these hackers target it.
Just my two cents, but I speak from both sides of the fence having once (NOT in POTCO) been engaged in what these pirates are doing. I was quite skillful at it (before "Third Party Programs") and sadly know just how easy some "Third Party Programs" have made doing it.
And FYI - I left that scene behind a VERY long time ago.
Regards,
Kriss.