The UK’s Gambling Health Alliance survey of British teen and young adult gamers indicates that one in six kids confess they have taken money from their parents without permission to fund video game “loot boxes.” A Panda Security survey found that 52 per cent of parents have seen suspicious bank balance activity but later discovered it was their child who made the purchase while 21 percent called the bank regarding the suspicious activity:
“For the research, Panda Security surveyed 1,500 UK-based mums and dads online, who were asked a series of yes or no questions based on their experiences.
Data showed 23 per cent were left so baffled by a transaction on their account that they assumed it must be a mistake, while 17 per cent even thought they were the victim of fraud.
Due to the issue, 16 per cent of mums and dads had ended up with unexpected deliveries to their home, with just 28 per cent able to cancel the order.
Children are especially partial to addictive gaming add-ons known as ‘loot boxes’ – virtual treasure chests in video games that give players prizes.
Nearly two thirds (63 per cent) of parents said they thought their children knew exactly what they were doing when they made an online purchase without permission.”
Overview by Tim Sloane, VP, Payments Innovation at Mercator Advisory Group