Gaming, in-app purchases and online scams: a parent guide

The safest starting point is to make every purchase require approval, remove stored payment details where practical, and agree on a real-dollar gaming budget with your child. Then make it easy for them to tell you when something goes wrong.

Games can turn real money into gems, coins, skins, passes and loot boxes. That extra layer makes spending hard to track, even for adults. Children also face scams through fake giveaways, account trades, impersonation and messages from people they meet while playing.

Make the real price visible

Convert in-game currency back into Australian dollars before a purchase. If 1,000 coins cost $14.99 and an item costs 700 coins, talk about the dollar value rather than calling it "only 700".

Small purchases can accumulate. A $4.99 purchase twice a week is more than $500 across a year. Converting it to dollars puts the choice in the same units as pocket money, saving goals and other spending.

Set the controls before there is a problem

The eSafety Commissioner recommends using parental controls to prevent or limit unsupervised spending. Depending on the device and platform, parents can require approval, restrict in-app purchases, set age limits and keep a separate child account.

Use these practical settings:

• require a password or parent approval for every purchase
• do not share the parent's account login
• remove stored card details where practical
• use a child profile with age-appropriate controls
• turn on purchase notifications
• consider a fixed-value gift card for an agreed budget
• check whether subscriptions renew automatically

Platform settings change. Use the provider's current family or parental-control instructions rather than relying on an old screenshot.

Agree on the family rule

A rule works better when the child helps shape it. Decide:

1. Whether in-game spending is allowed.
2. The maximum amount and how often it can be spent.
3. Which purchases are never allowed.
4. Whether the money comes from pocket money, gifts or a separate family budget.
5. What happens if the limit is reached.

Chance-based purchases need extra care. eSafety says games with in-game purchases linked to chance are not recommended for children under 15, and simulated gambling games are not recommended for people under 18.

Teach the common scam patterns

Warning signs include:

• a message promising free currency, skins or an account upgrade
• a link asking the child to log in again
• a player asking for a password, one-time code or recovery phrase
• pressure to move the conversation to another app
• an offer to buy, sell or trade an account outside the game's official system
• a request for gift cards, crypto or a transfer to release a prize
• a fake support account saying the child will be banned unless they act now

Explain that a padlock or familiar logo does not prove a message is genuine. Open the game or platform directly and use its official help area.

Make disclosure safe

Children sometimes hide a bad purchase or scam because they expect to lose the game or device. That delay can make recovery harder.

Use a simple promise: "Tell me quickly and we will deal with safety first. We can talk about the rule afterwards." This does not remove consequences. It makes the first response useful.

What to do if money is spent or an account is taken

Act promptly:

1. Change the game and email passwords from a trusted device.
2. Turn on multi-factor authentication.
3. Sign out other sessions if the platform allows it.
4. Contact the platform through its official support channel.
5. Check the linked bank, card or app-store account for other transactions.
6. Lock the card and contact the financial institution if payment details may be compromised.
7. Keep screenshots, usernames, receipts and message details.
8. Report scams to Scamwatch and harmful online conduct through the relevant platform or eSafety pathway.

Do not pay a second person who promises to recover the account or money. Recovery scammers often approach people who have already lost something.

Review the setup together

Once a month, check active subscriptions, recent purchases and saved payment methods with your child. Ask which parts of the game are designed to make waiting difficult or spending feel urgent.

The aim is not to remove every commercial feature. It is to help children recognise pressure, see the real cost and ask for help before a small problem becomes a larger one.

Sources

• eSafety Commissioner: How to manage money in games
• eSafety Commissioner: In-app purchasing
• eSafety Commissioner: Parental controls

This article provides general information for parents and carers. Device, platform and payment settings change, so check current official instructions.