‘He never should’ve been able to change that password’: Mom says son bypassed Apple’s payment security system and spent $800 on Roblox
A user on TikTok has gone viral after claiming that her child inadvertently spent over $800 on Roblox using an Apple device.
According to TikTok user Linzy (@thelinzytaylor), her child plays the game Roblox using an Apple device. Linzy had previously restricted her child’s ability to purchase items in the game by requiring a password to make purchases.
Linzy says she only inputted the password for the occasional purchase, and that the child did not know the password.
However, Linzy says that her child figured out a way to circumvent the password system by clicking an option to say he forgot his password, then verifying the account with a connected iPhone. Through this process, the 10-year-old was able to charge over $800 to Linzy’s PayPal account.
@thelinzytaylor @apple @roblox #apple #roblox #familysharing #thisisnotokay #asd #autismacceptance #thelinzytaylor ♬ original sound - Linzy Taylor
Linzy says she is currently in the process of trying to get a refund but will not know if she actually gets one until up to 30 days after the incident.
While Linzy acknowledges in follow-up videos that she has responsibility in this situation, she also notes that there should be more efforts made on the part of Apple to resolve this issue.
“What I don’t understand is how it wasn’t a flag in Apple’s system,” she explains. “How can you just hit ‘Forgot Password’ to spend $100 multiple times in a row, and they just allow that? That doesn’t make sense to me. That seems more like a security red flag.”
“Not to mention, my son is autistic,” she adds later in the video. “That does not excuse his behavior, but it does explain why he thought it was not going to affect anyone, and why he thought it was going to be okay — because he doesn’t understand money, how it’s made, where it comes from, [and] how long it takes to make something like $800.”
“He just found a way for it to work and just kept pressing the buttons,” Linzy summarizes.
Linzy added more information in a later video, saying that she had made an effort to explain the value of money to her child.
@thelinzytaylor Replying to @brokenhazeleyes What would you do? #consequence #vlog #parenting #autismacceptance #asd #apple #roblox #familysharing ♬ original sound - Linzy Taylor
“He knew what he did was wrong, because he said that he knew I wouldn’t have gifted him that much money in Roblox,” she says in this video. “What he didn’t understand was that the money was coming from my food and bill account.”
While she notes that her son’s autism is not an excuse for his behavior, she says there are certain topics, like money, that her son has trouble understanding. Linzy details that the family has been working on understanding those issues together.
Throughout several follow-up videos, Linzy explains that she has been working with Apple to resolve the issue, though her son will likely have his Roblox account deleted (something Linzy tried to avoid). That said, she continued to question why she did not receive a notification or query about these purchases as they were happening via Apple’s Family Sharing plan, of which she is the owner.
In the most recent update, Linzy thanks viewers for their support and shares other options she’s enabled with help from Apple to prevent this from happening again in the future.
@thelinzytaylor Replying to @labfetisesh UPDATE on the Apple / Roblox situation #update #thelinzytaylor #apple #roblox #asd ♬ original sound - Linzy Taylor
In summary, she turned on Apple’s “Ask to Buy” feature, which requires the owner of the Family Sharing plan to approve any purchase made by others on the plan.
She also states that Apple told her the “Forgot Password” workaround has not always worked, though she does not say whether Apple planned to resolve this issue in the future.
“Apple apologized to me and told me that this wasn’t my fault and that this happens sometimes,” she says. “They also told me that the ‘forgot password’ bypass feature hasn’t always been there.”
In response to some users who said that her son should be harshly punished for what he did, Linzy explains that her son suffers from a variety of medical issues that make his life difficult and frequently keep him quarantined in his home. As a result, Linzy says that she takes a considered approach to parenting that some commenters may not understand.
That isn’t to say that the son won’t face punishment, however.
In addition to restricting his screen time, restricting her son’s ability to change his passwords and account information, and taking away his iPad throughout most of the day, Linzy says her child will have to “work off that $800, even if it takes him a long time.”
“Little by little, he’s going to learn the value of a dollar, because he’s going to have to earn that $800 back dollar by dollar,” Linzy concludes.
In the comments section, users shared their thoughts on the situation, with some offering similar stories.
“My daughter ordered 100 pounds of blue corn flour and 6 dozen pink roses once just asking Alexa what her favorite color flower was,” recalled a user. “I got it fixed…You aren't alone and he shouldn't be able to bypass the password. PERIOD.”
“My daughter spent 165 dollars last year with her phone b4 I realized it,” recounted another.
“The only lesson here is that our children, no matter their mental status need to be shown the value of money at a young age,” summarized an additional commenter.
The Daily Dot reached out to Linzy and Apple via email.
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