Modern-day kids have more access to technology than ever before, and nowadays, children are more gadgets-pro than their parents.
Recently, a seven-year-old kid accidentally emptied his mother’s bank account and put in an overdraft.
Kayla Howard is a single mother of four kids who works two jobs to earn a living and run her household. She works hard to support her children, and every penny matters to her regarding finances.
A few days ago, Kayla received a phone call from her bank and was informed that her account was in default as his seven-year-old son spent $897 on made multiple unauthorized purchases for Roblox via Google Play.
The single mom was extremely shocked to learn about the news and didn’t know how to react because her son is autistic.
According to 12 News, “Kayla Howard got a call from her bank on Saturday as her 7-year-old son was playing Roblox.”
“It’s one of the more popular apps across the country – and Howard found out the hard way that there are a lot of opportunities within the app to spend money.”
Speaking to the news outlet, the single mom-of-four said as she is working two jobs, she cannot spend most of her time with her children. So, she makes sure they stay busy learning something new.
She said her kids are keen learners and big on technology. They love playing games after finishing their homework.
“Sometimes, as busy parents, we do overlook things,” said Howard. “He’s 7. He has autism. You know it’s hard for him to recognize the consequences of his actions. That’s what he’s working [on].”
“Last week, I received this shocking call from my bank. They explained to me that there was a total of seven unauthorized charges on my account. The charges were from Roblox and totaled $897.”
She added that the incident happened a week before Christmas, and she has her rent due in a few days.
“The timing could not have been worse. I’m trying my best not to cry, not to stress out about it. I’m just trying to be as solution-focused about it as I can.”
Kayla also told the outlet that she reached Google Play and Roblox to refund her money but she only got $10 from them.
“She has filed a claim with Roblox, and she’s still waiting to hear back,” per 12 News.
A spokesperson from Roblox told the news outlet that they investigate every claim individually.
“We review each request individually and, whenever possible, we work with parents and customers directly as part of our permissive refund policy to provide a refund for unauthorized purchases.”
Kayla Howard also set up a GoFundMe to help raise money for her family to get through the holidays.
Her GoFundMe statement reads, “On December 16, 2022, my 7-year-old son with Autism accidentally made multiple unauthorized purchases for Robux via Google Play totaling in $897.17 without my consent or knowledge. Even after I followed Google Play’s refund request policies and procedures to immediately request a refund for the purchases, Google Play only refunded $10.80.”
“I am a single mother of four children, working a full-time job, owning and running a small math tutoring business, and have no money left to meet myself and my children’s basic needs. My bank account is currently -1244.52 as a result of the purchases and resulting overdraft fees. Donations of any amount will help me to cover my expenses and bring my family peace this holiday season.”
By far, the GoFundMe has raised $10,924, and Kayla is very thankful to all the people who donated.
“Thank you so much to all of you for your generosity and words of support during this time! We met our goal, and I couldn’t be more elated! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all!” she wrote in a recent update.
You can also help Kayla Howard by contributing money to her GoFundMe account.
Sources: 12 News
