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Original poster

Roblox - money lost

269 replies

Sarahr22 · 15/06/2020 17:36

Hello,
I am sat in tears. not knowing where to turn. I realised today that my 8 year old has been playing Roblox (which I signed her up to do and put all safety blocks on) but has been making in-app purchases which over the last few weeks amount to nearly £2600. She didn't realise it was real money and I consider myself at fault for not checking - with all the child safety blocks on I didn't realise this would happen. I have hardly any money in my account and am not working at present. I have tried Roblox (no way of calling them just have to fill in a form), Apple (as it was on an iPad and they refused to help) and discussed with my bank that suspicious activity should have been picked up - they refused to help and suggested reporting my child for fraud. I appreciate I should have been more vigilant but any ideas or experiences as I simply don't know where to turn. Thank you

OP posts:
Tarararara · 17/06/2020 17:29

heartsonacake not so - I just had a quick look at their website/FAQs and it states "Users age 13 and over can customize their account privacy settings. For users age 12 and under, we take extra precautions to ensure their safety and privacy by automatically enforcing more restricted settings so they can only send a direct message to other users that are accepted as friends on Roblox."

So they obviously do anticipate children aged younger than 12 set up accounts and play games. This raises a good question for the OP - did your daughter enter her year of birth honestly when she set up her account? I think that would help your case if so....

itbemay · 17/06/2020 17:30

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7472177/Brighton-schoolboy-Leon-spends-3-000-Minecraft-Roblox-without-mum-knowing-credit-card.html

this may help - it seems the parent got the money back in the end, i would keep going with this
Good luck

Handsnotwands · 17/06/2020 17:32

we have instances of more than 20 clicks leading to purchase being made in a half an hour slot.

that’s less than 2 minutes each (#mathsgenius) I just can’t see that it’s possible to make a purchase that quickly. It takes longer to move through the requisite screens. Are you absolutely sure you’ve not been hacked or something?

BobbieDraper · 17/06/2020 17:45

That's insane. She wouldn't have even had time to actually use the stuff she was buying if she was spending the entire time purchasing stuff.

How is that even possible?

JingleCatJingle · 17/06/2020 19:50

They do things like surprise boxes. She could have bought a tonne of them.

Original poster
Sarahr22 · 18/06/2020 10:21

So......we have obviously spent hours with Apple over the last few days locking down our system and canceling off Roblox and amending notifications so according to Apple everything is in place and assurances no signs of hacking etc. Woke up this morning to several instances of £9.99 payments to Roblox bring incurred in middle of the night!!!!! Hopefully they may now take it more seriously!!!! (And before anyone asks ipad was downstairs with house alarm on and my daughter was happily sleeping upstairs!).

OP posts:
ilovemydogandMrObama · 18/06/2020 10:25

Wow, looks as if you have been hacked.

fromdownwest · 18/06/2020 10:27

Looks like hacked for sure, I would now approach your credit card linked to the account. These are classed as unauthorised transactions.

ScottishStottie · 18/06/2020 10:27

Would your daughter have given anyone log in details? Could be bullying/pressure to give the info?

Just seems strange that despite apple looking into it theres no sign of hacking (different ip address etc?) Although im not the most tech savvy so not sure if this would be seen

Zoflorabore · 18/06/2020 10:53

That puts a whole new spin on things op. I am fairly confident you will be refunded in full.

My dd is 9 and is bordering on being addicted to Roblox which is concerning me. Started off at the beginning of lockdown as an easy way to play with her friends and message them. She does get Robux as rewards for chores etc and I have to input my password, card is set up automatically.

I hope she gets bored of it soon but I doubt it. Seems very addictive.

Good luck with everything Flowers

fromdownwest · 18/06/2020 10:56

Does she have a phone?

AwwDontGo · 18/06/2020 10:58

Oh my!! Do you know if anyone else could have to log in details?

Browzingss · 18/06/2020 11:45

Strange.

If Apple guided you in setting up your devices properly, eg turning off in app purchases, how were further transactions possible?

Even if someone had access to her Roblox app log in, they wouldn’t also have access to your iCloud account/your card details to make iTunes purchases. But theoretically say they also had your iCloud log in details - when you sign into iCloud on a new device, you have to completely set up Apple Wallet again so your cards wouldn’t be accessible

Also didn’t she admit to making transactions herself? I don’t think all the transactions would be the result of hacking so not all fraudulent/able to get funds recovered

goingoverground · 18/06/2020 12:09

I don't know about in app purchases but you can see the device used to make the purchase when you buy an app. Have you checked to see which device was used to make the purchases last night?

BobbieDraper · 18/06/2020 12:36

Oh thank goodness!!!

You really can report it as fraud now. Honestly... if they try to say that they will consider last night's as fruad but the rest as legitimate then you need to social media it and link all of us to it so we can spam then till they refund you.

ItsSpittingEverybodyIn · 18/06/2020 13:24

This is really odd!

heartsonacake · 18/06/2020 13:54

This is confusing as hell. Didn’t your daughter admit to spending money?

Because if some of the transactions were done by her and others obviously not, like last night, it sounds like she may have accidentally given info away to someone, so they could also spend money?

LindaLovesCake · 18/06/2020 14:17

Apple will be able to tell you which device the purchases have been made from.

ilovemydogandMrObama · 18/06/2020 14:23

@heartsonacake - It's possible her 8 year old wasn't entirely clear what she was doing.

Maybe she was playing the game and didn't ever activate the in app purchases....

dickiedavisthunderthighs · 18/06/2020 15:03

Roblox has a membership option which auto-renews. Chances are you daughter has bought that as well. You'll need the physically cancel the subscription on the Roblox site.

BrieAndChilli · 18/06/2020 15:26

Have you actually looked in her robin account to see the money going in to that as Robux or have you just assumed it was her buying it as cane off card??
I would go through her transactions on robux and see if they tally with the credit card statement. That will help you prove there has been fraud??

Maxineputyourredshoeson · 18/06/2020 15:36

Are these defiantly new transactions and not the invoices from Apple now coming through. I know these can take a little while to hit your email.

Also when I make purchases on a game via Apple I get a box pop up asking am I sure I want to make the purchase and then click the buy button - this maybe why Apple are refusing to refund as its a secondary authorisation.

Original poster
Sarahr22 · 18/06/2020 15:48

4 hours today on the phone to Roblox and Apple. Roblox has accepted that there has been activity on our account which was not carried out by us and that all necessary security was on the system. Even though our daughter was playing on Roblox on investigation into her account nothing from our IP address had instructed or authorized payments. In some ways we are lucky that activity took place in the middle of the night last night after everything had been closed off as it made them revisit the issue. They are obviously investigating further how it all has happened but accept the activity was not ours and HAVE REFUNDED it all! Words fail me on describing the relief. I appreciate all the advice and thoughts everyone have over the last few days and if nothing else I hope this issue has alerted people to the pitfalls of Roblox.

OP posts:
ilovemydogandMrObama · 18/06/2020 15:51

So pleased for you Grin

What a huge relief Wine

Hope your DD isn't too traumatised...

Nutrigrainygoodness · 18/06/2020 15:54

So pleased for you. Glad you eventually got sorted. 😄