The Japanese portal Nicovideo reported that the National Center for Consumer Affairs in Japan has reported that the cases of children and adolescents who "they waste"His parents' money in online video games and in donations to streamers and virtual YouTubers has reached"worrying values“Due to the compulsory break due to the COVID-19 pandemic in school.
«As the COVID-19 pandemic spreads, people are spending more time at home and less time away. Japan's National Center for Consumer Affairs has also warned of a sharp increase in the number of children immersed in online video games and live streaming apps as a result of school holidays. The number of requests from elementary, secondary and high school students regarding online video games received at consumer service centers across the country has increased significantly from 1,171 in 2016 to 3,723 in 2020 and continues to hit all-time highs».
«In May this year, two elementary school children were found to have spent more than 1.5 million yen (about $ 13,145) on online video games using a tablet device shared by their family. The parents had registered two credit card numbers on the tablet device so that the two children could top up without permission. The payment confirmation emails from the credit card companies were sent to the tablets, but the children put them in the "junk mail" folder and the parents did not notice the financial damage.».
«In May last year, a man in his 40s who lives in the southern Kanto region asked us about his high school daughter who was using a live streaming app to send "about 200,000 yen ( over 1,700 US dollars) ". Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, he had used his mother's smartphone during the school holidays. In May this year, a woman in her thirties who lives in the southern Kanto region reported that her son, a high school student, had spent 700,000 yen (more than $ 6,000) on donations to streamers.».
«A representative from the National Consumers 'Agency told the editorial staff: "If a child pays with their parents' credit card, the bank will likely assume that the father has given their consent and cannot get a refund. ". Therefore, it is necessary to take measures such as: B. Not allowing children to use their parents 'smartphones, not allowing children to connect to their parents' accounts, and always setting up two-step verification for payment».
Source: Nicovideo | Japan
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