Help, unauthorised teenage spending on credit card

Leon1971

My teenage son has racked up a massive ( I mean massive) amount on a credit card on a game ,( buying skins). He has helped himself to the card and spent. Please advise on our best moves if we have any. Thanks 😭

victor2

Put all his gaming equipment on ebay to recoup some of the losses.

That's what my nephew did when his son pulled a similar stunt!

Browntoa

Best move , report this fraud to the police. Family member or not 

Credit card company would say you were negligent in not putting the card somewhere safe

Leon1971

What about going through the channels of credit card company/ gaming company. Believe me I would love to put the thing on ebay or put a hammer to it. My fear is that if I do that, then the retaliation would be greater. Terrible I know. My son is on the spectrum ADHD/Asperger's. 

MovingForwards

Report it to the police.
Contact the CC and say what happened.
Sell everything non-practical (eg everything aside from clothes, shoes etc) and recoup some money.
Have a damn good talk with him and ask him how he is going to pay it off.

How old is he?

DCFC79

Leon1971 said:

My teenage son has racked up a massive ( I mean massive) amount on a credit card on a game ,( buying skins). He has helped himself to the card and spent. Please advise on our best moves if we have any. Thanks 😭

Need to understand how it happened so you can prevent it happening again.

How did he get your card details ?

Did he take your card and enter the details or had you bought something on his account as he asked you eg a game and he bought the skins etc without thinking it was costing money ?

As for what you do now is up to you, you could do as suggested and sell the console / PC etc but would this make a dent on the debt ? You could explain to him he has to do a certain amount of jobs a week for so many months eg dishwasher, loading washer, washes your car if you have one etc.

Whats the game ?

Is it console or PC ?

You could ask the developers to see if a refund is possible but I suspect not.

In future buy the top cards from many retailers, they come various values and explain once its gone then its gone and no more for a number of months.

victor2

Leon1971 said:

What about going through the channels of credit card company/ gaming company. Believe me I would love to put the thing on ebay or put a hammer to it. My fear is that if I do that, then the retaliation would be greater. Terrible I know. My son is on the spectrum ADHD/Asperger's. 

Worth a try. You've got nothing to lose and the gaming company won't want any negative publicity, so might at least reduce the incurred costs a little - if you can contact them. I'd ask the credit card company why they didn't alert you or decline repeated transaction to the same seller.

jonesMUFCforever

There was an item on the news recently - similar - when somebody had done the same but with a mobile phone. They ended up refunding the customer.

kazwookie

How did he get your card?

Lock it yup

Change your pin number (if it has some)

Cancel the card

Sit your son down and ask him how he is going to pay the money back and I love the idea of selling his gaming stuff, teach him a lesson.

[Deleted User]

Long story but 20 odd years ago my DS used my CC while I was in hospital, my OH reported him to the police (he was 14 at the time) got a crime number and a full refund from the CC , and he got a rollicking 5 weeks later from the police.

MalMonroe

"My son is on the spectrum ADHD/Asperger's".  I can't believe some of the awful answers on here, I really do feel for your son. It's not his fault that your credit card was left lying around for him to use. You cannot possibly report this to the police, what an absolutely ridiculous suggestion! 
I would first of all approach the credit card company and see if they can help. Those things you can get a refund for or sell, do that. Otherwise, this is a very expensive learning curve. But really, it's your fault, isn't it?