Zinger Key Points
- Gong's daughter said that she wasn't aware where the money came from.
- She reportedly deleted transactions and messages to hide her purchases from her parents.
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A 13-year-old girl in China spent her family's life savings, approximately $64,000, on pay-to-play mobile video games.
According to Insider, the teen's mother, Gong Yiwang, was taken by surprise when she received a phone call from the school informing her about her daughter's addiction to pay-to-play games.
Following the call from the school, Gong checked her bank account, which had only 7 cents left.
Insider reported that Gong then discovered that her daughter had gone on a five-month spending spree from January to May, totaling an estimated $16,800 on game accounts and nearly $30,000 on in-game purchases.
"I never thought a 13-year-old girl could do this," Gong told local TV outlet Elephant News, per Insider. "I'm in a daze; my head feels like it will explode."
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According to the outlet, Gong's daughter said she wasn't aware where the money came from or the tab she racked up — she just knew her mom's bank account was linked to her cell phone. She also said that her friends started asking her for money after learning that she had been spending a lot on pay-to-play games.
"If I didn't send it to them, they would bother me all day," the teen said of her friends. "If I told the teacher, I was afraid that the teacher would tell my parents and that my parents would be angry," she added.
The teen deleted transactions and messages to hide her purchases from her parents.
Gong is reportedly trying to recover the money lost due to her child's gaming habits but has yet to receive a refund.
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