Cybertraps Podcast

News Items New Jersey toddler Ayaansh Kumar bought nearly $2,000 in Walmart furniture, unbeknownst to his parents https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/01/25/new-jersey-toddler-walmart-cart-online-shopping/ Mother Madhu Kumar shopped for furniture and other household goods but did not actually purchase them Her son Ayaansh (22-months) was playing on her phone and somehow would up in the Walmart app, where he executed the purchases His parents tried to cancel the undelivered orders but were unable to do so They’ve arranged to return the items (most of them) to Walmart for refunds Parents will install passcodes and prevent the automatic loading of payment info How It Happens This is a problem that has been around since the rise of the world wide web (and probably even before that) A kid with access to a parent credit card could use it online to make purchases, since there are no reliable tools for checking identity online More recently, credit cards are stored by online merchants or in apps, making it much easier for unauthorized purchases to occur So-called “bait apps” aggressively encourage children to make in-app purchases to enhance their playing experience Problem has spread to smart speakers (Alexa, Legal Issues Parents are legally liable for the purchases made by their children when children use their parents’ credit cards Credit card companies that promise zero liability for unauthorized purchases may offer refunds but others will only do so if the card is lost or stolen Refunds may be available However, some service providers or game companies may refuse to issue refunds if payment is made through a third-party (the Apple Store, for instance) Refunds may also be denied if you have made your child an authorized user If the online service provider is guilty of fraud or inducements aimed at children, the Federal Trade Commission may order refunds In 2014, the FTC settled a class action lawsuit with Google, Apple, and Amazon, in which all three companies paid millions in refunds. Recovery / Restitution Try to cancel pending orders Request refunds from the merchant Dispute the charges with your credit card Contact the Federal Trade Commission Set up a GoFundMe? Prevention Supervision and Education Browser Filters Parental Control Accounts Apple’s Ask to Buy and Family Sharing sends a request to the card holder each time a child tries to make a purchase or download. You can eliminate in-app purchases entirely by turning on Screen Time on their devices. Child-Specific Browsers Help your child(ren) understand the use of credit cards and possible consequences Clear Boundaries Set up separate Apple IDs for children (make sure you know the password) Turn on “guest mode” on your device (if available) before handing it to a child Require password or biometric confirmation by an adult for purchases Financial Restrictions Do not link your credit card to apps used by your child If your child is an authorized user, see if your credit card company will let you set a limit on his or her spending, or create real-time notifications for purchases Consider using a debit card or topping-off card for in-app purchases Device protection Make sure that your device locks within a short time – 10–15 seconds Use a password that is complicated/long enough that it cannot easily be memorized by a watching child Try not to leave mobile devices unattended Resources Advice and Tips - #2021–08–03 How to protect your credit card from small kids https://www.kaspersky.com/blog/save-credit-card-from-games-small-kids/40997/ - #2021–01–26 Who’s responsible for your kids’ unauthorized credit card charges? https://www.cnbc.com/select/whos-responsible-for-kids-unauthorized-credit-card-charges/ - #2019–08–23 Children and Internet: How to avoid accidental purchases https://www.santander.com/en/press-room/dp/children-and-internet-how-to-avoid-accidental-purchases - #2019–01–25 5 Ways to Curb Kids’ In-App Purchases on the iPhone https://www.commonsensemedia.org/blog/5-ways-to-curb-kids-in-app-purchases-on-the-iphone - #2018–08–18 How To Prevent Your Kid From Ordering $400 Worth of Toys on Amazon https://thepointsguy.com/news/how-to-prevent-your-kid-from-ordering-toys-on-amazon/ - #2018–04–18 How to Stop Your Kids From Buying Stuff in Fortnite https://lifehacker.com/how-to-stop-your-kids-from-buying-stuff-in-fortnite–1825339110 - #2014–03–31 Apple Lets Parents Get Refunds for In-App Purchases https://www.nbcnews.com/business/consumer/apple-lets-parents-get-refunds-in-app-purchases-n67811 - #2013–04–16 How to Prevent Your Kids From Spending Thousands of Dollars on In-App Purchases https://www.howtogeek.com/142491/how-to-prevent-your-kids-from-spending-thousands-of-dollars-on-in-app-purchases/ Cautionary Tales - #2021–05–07 A mom panicked when her 4-year-old bought $2,600 in SpongeBob Popsicles. Good Samaritans are paying. https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2021/05/07/spongebob-popsicles-noah/ - #2021–02–16 Boy, 7, accidentally spends £1,200 on online games, including £800 on virtual cat food https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/boy–7-accidentally-spends–1200–23508222 - #2020–12–13 Child spends $16K on iPad game in-app purchases https://appleinsider.com/articles/20/12/13/kid-spends–16k-on-in-app-purchases-for-ipad-game-sonic-forces - #2020–03–11 My kids spent £600 on their iPads without my knowledge #Roblox https://www.theguardian.com/money/2020/mar/11/my-kids-spent–600-on-their-ipads-without-my-knowledge - #2019–07–15 ‘My son spent £3,160 in one game’ https://www.bbc.com/news/technology–48925623 - #2018–03–23 Parents Are Sharing the Hilariously Random Things Their Kids Accidentally Purchased Online https://www.workingmother.com/parents-are-sharing-the-hilariously-random-things-their-kids-accidentally-purchased-online - #2017–01–27 Amazon’s Alexa started ordering people dollhouses after hearing its name on TV https://www.theverge.com/2017/1/7/14200210/amazon-alexa-tech-news-anchor-order-dollhouse - #2016–11–23 11 WTF Items That Kids Ordered Online Without Telling Their Parents https://cafemom.com/parenting/202014–11_wtf_items_that_kids - #2016–04–24 A car, flights and a 6ft Womble cutout: What kids accidentally bought on their parents’ phones https://metro.co.uk/2016/04/24/a-car-flights-and-a–6ft-womble-cutout-what-kids-accidentally-bought-on-their-parents-phones–5837975/ - #2013–07–13 U.S. toddler accidentally buys car while playing with dad’s smartphone https://www.ctvnews.ca/sci-tech/u-s-toddler-accidentally-buys-car-while-playing-with-dad-s-smartphone–1.1365693 - #2013–03–02 5 year old accidentally spends $2570 on iPad in-app purchases https://www.slashgear.com/5-year-old-accidentally-spends–2570-on-ipad-in-app-purchases–02272254/