Kids Empty Their Parents’ Bank Account By Buying Lootboxes

In-app purchases and microtransactions have become the norm these days, where they allow publishers and developers to continue making money even after a game has been purchased, or it allows them to offer up games for free but yet have an alternative for making money. Unfortunately, these microtransactions have proven to be the bane of the life of parents around the world.

In a recent incident in the UK, it seems that four children have managed to empty the bank account of their parents by unknowingly purchasing lootboxes sold by EA in its FIFA 19 game on the Nintendo Switch. It was only discovered that their bank account had been emptied out when the parents attempted to use their debit card, only to have it rejected due to there not being enough money.

The kids, who were all under 10, have since expressed remorse at their actions, but it did not stop the console from being confiscated indefinitely. To make matters worse, even after spending all that money (which was around £550) on lootboxes, which allow players to unlock special players, the kids still could not unlock their favorite player.

The dad admits that he was partly at fault for not limiting access to his Nintendo account, but it was something he never expected his kids to do. Nintendo has since agreed to refund the full amount. As for EA, they have yet to comment, although given the company’s stance on lootboxes, we’re not sure if they will.

Tyler Lee
Categories: Gaming
Tags: EA, Nintendo, nintendo switch