Boy's Cookie Run ‘hack’ fails, mom billed for THB200,000

[surangw]

maybe that site should be blocked by thai internet providers like porn and gambling sites

[RigPig]

Also as a foot note, people pointing the finger at the software manufacturers for exploitation, what about "Whitening Cream" (the biggest selling cosmetic in SE Asia), and the adds in Thai that sell products that can cure cancer and HIV? They must make money or they wouldn't be able to spend that sort of money on TV advertising.

IMO what these guys are doing is nowhere near as bad, at least they are up front and say it will cost money. You can play the game without purchasing. The only reason you would do this is to "cheat" at the game,you are not good enough to get there on your own skill.

[RigPig]

maybe that site should be blocked by thai internet providers like porn and gambling sites

I thought the same thing, but the problem is the majority of responsible people who enjoy the game get punished because of the foolish and dishonest few.

[sumtingwong]

Cookie Monster snared another victim.

[honcho]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

"Amporn said AIS agreed to let her pay by installment, but the farmer insisted she cannot afford it."

Once again a Thai parent refuses to take any responsibility for her child's action. What he attempted to do was illegal and in other countries he would have been arrested and charged as a juvenile for attempting to hack into a business' system. He is 12 years-old and should know right from wrong by this age. Due to the fact that he is a minor, his parents are responsible for his illegal actions. It would not have cost her a single baht to supervise her son, know what he was doing, and teach him how to be responsible for his actions. Of course, this being Thailand, male children can do whatever they please and parents do not interfere.

Not only should she be made to pay the bill, but she should be charged interest on the unpaid amount. This would send a message to parents that their parental responsibility does not end with the birth of their children. alt=wai2.gif width=20 height=20> alt=wai2.gif width=20 height=20> alt=wai2.gif width=20 height=20>

sure she should have more control, but 12yr boys can be sneaky little Bs. I feel sorry for her,

[builderstu]

I once ran up an AIS bill of 5000 baht and they locked the sim until I called to confirm or make an intrim period, how can they have rules for one and not another. I know this is thailand, but this is a major company not a Micky mouse street cart.

[catweazle]

Let's face it - the boy has <deleted> up big time, and he is the person responsible and as a result also the person who (in the course of his life) should pay the money back. Consumer protection by the carrier in place would be nice but is a bubble dream because they want (and have to) make money. So if idiots want to buy cookie run stuff for thousands of Baht, well, let them! Education to parents about the dangers of all this online $#ite would be nice, but do they really care?

Pretty <deleted> up situation - how to resolve it? Get all involved parties together, do a marketing and information/education campaign showing pros and cons of such online gaming and hacking, etc. sponsored by the app designer, the carrier and use the boy as a kind of spokesperson to educate young people about the downsides and traps there are - during that campain all vow (and keep their promise after) to make systems more transparent and safer, the boy earns the 200k back during that campaign, someone help him to write a book, blog or whatever that generates some income - everyone is happy and at least an attempt would have been made to make online gaming, app use, etc. safer and better. Could be a win-win situation if everyone starts to use the brain instead of the index finger...

[RigPig]

I once ran up an AIS bill of 5000 baht and they locked the sim until I called to confirm or make an intrim period, how can they have rules for one and not another. I know this is thailand, but this is a major company not a Micky mouse street cart.

Probably because it is not charged directly by AIS, the company (Line) accumulates the charge and uses AIS as the collection agency (for a percentage of course). AIS didn't know about it until after it had happened and they received the bill from Line, at which point it was too late but that is when the cut the account off I would say. By then it is too late, but depending on the contract technically AIS now owes Line the money less their cut.

I guess the question is how is the money charged and by who, at what point did AIS know about it? Does AIS get notified of the charges in real time or after your game session has finished or every 20 minutes, or whatever? Line would certainly want a record and proof of the amount, they wouldn't be taking AIS's word for it.

[thaibeachlovers]

"Amporn said AIS agreed to let her pay by installment, but the farmer insisted she cannot afford it."

Once again a Thai parent refuses to take any responsibility for her child's action. What he attempted to do was illegal and in other countries he would have been arrested and charged as a juvenile for attempting to hack into a business' system. He is 12 years-old and should know right from wrong by this age. Due to the fact that he is a minor, his parents are responsible for his illegal actions. It would not have cost her a single baht to supervise her son, know what he was doing, and teach him how to be responsible for his actions. Of course, this being Thailand, male children can do whatever they please and parents do not interfere.

Not only should she be made to pay the bill, but she should be charged interest on the unpaid amount. This would send a message to parents that their parental responsibility does not end with the birth of their children.

The Thai IT cafes that I have used are often full of kids playing games, unsupervised by anyone. I agree that parents are responsible for their children, but there is only so much they can do, unless locking them in the house when not at school.

Personally, if I had a child, I wouldn't let them use a computer ar all, as producing a generation of morons with their faces stuck in a machine all day. I didn't let my step children watch more than an hour of tv a day for the same reason.

Childhood is for learning about life and having fun, not doing brain killing non beneficial activity all day.

Once they are adults they can make their own minds up about what they want to do, but computer/ tv is too addictive to let kids have unlimited access.

I'm always really happy that I didn't have the option of computer/ tv when I was a child ( didn't exist ), as I am addicted now.

[joepattaya1961]

Quite amazed their credit control system did not shut it off..... Looks like AIS has a serious issue with their billing system

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Good point, but I think there is a credit-limit for roaming only, although that works as a rubber band.

Was in Europe once and my credit-limit was about to be reached; I received an sms from AIS (free) that my credit-limit was increased with a few-thousand Baht.

[utkb]

I wonder how many people here claiming that a prepubescent 12 year old boy understands right from wrong AND consequences; have never bought movies or software from MBK.

This does seem to be a case where sufficient controls were (intentionally) not in place and the makers of the game know that a large part of their revenue come from "micro" sells that would go unnoticed by parents.

[inutil]

As a child of the 80s, i can tell you that parenting in the 80s was a DODDLE compared to the expectations parents have to live by now. Parenting for me and all my mates consisted of our mum feeding us crap dinner then being sent out to play or sat in front of the telly. Dad would come in, shout about the mess, eat his tea, then head off to the pub.

Classic 80s parenting in the UK. You guys wouldnt survive in the modern environment where every action is scrutinised and every <redacted> on a message-board holds you up to a gold standard that they fell woefully short of in their time as a parent. Wake up pensioners of thaivisa, you were rubbish at this.

Edited June 24, 2014 by inutil

[RigPig]

I wonder how many people here claiming that a prepubescent 12 year old boy understands right from wrong AND consequences; have never bought movies or software from MBK.

This does seem to be a case where sufficient controls were (intentionally) not in place and the makers of the game know that a large part of their revenue come from "micro" sells that would go unnoticed by parents.

Hmmmm not a valid point really,the difference is when you buy movies from MBK you know you are doing wrong, but are prepared to take the risk. What happens if you do get busted, you are already prepared to accept the consequences, what ever they may be. Saying you didn't know it was wrong is not going to get you off the hook. Maybe this kids "hack" wold have worked, in which case this would not be an issue, the fact is it didn't, he got caught, time to face the piper and pay the consequences...

Letting him off will just affirm his belief he can get away with it next time, that's what is wrong with Thai society, no responsibility.

[The stuttering parrot]

The wife has told there is another case involving a kid in udon Thani with the parents getting billed over 600,000 baht !

Anyone have any details?

[indothai]

AIS and LINE has an agreement with each other about this app and it was designed to swindle the customer.

AIS, along with every mobile phone operators, do have a calling cap (line of credit) on customers, but this app by-passed the policy and some shmuck at AIS didn't do their homework properly to prevent this.

I smell a serious lawsuit coming to AIS. Can't touch LINE as they are overseas. Some lazy bumb is going to get fired at AIS.

[skippybangkok]

The wife has told there is another case involving a kid in udon Thani with the parents getting billed over 600,000 baht !

Anyone have any details?

Interesting ...

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[The stuttering parrot]

Yes skippy it's the cookie run again but this time the kid is 18 and brought the game for 299 baht per month..

What's happened is that he used his data up after four days and his phone got cut off so he rang the call center and asked why and they said you have to pay your bill of 596 thousand 398 baht before being re connected.

Needless to say the parents are in shock.

Its in the thai paper komchadluek

[hullupullo]

The wife has told there is another case involving a kid in udon Thani with the parents getting billed over 600,000 baht !

Anyone have any details?

Posted this before

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/736820-boys-cookie-run-hack-fails-mom-billed-for-thb200000/page-5#entry8011287

[GentlemanJim]

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They should wipe the bill and put in place a system where the consumer is protected,

Fair enough the boy done the wrong thing but he's only 12 and now you've got a mother who is most likely on computer savvy and a farmer slugged with a bill which is nearly impossible for her to pay.

But she was not being a responsible parent insofar as she was not controlling what the kid was doing.

Yes there should be a system in place to prevent such an event but not knowing what your kid is doing is a dereliction of her parental responsibilities.

If this kid goes on this way he will by the time he is 15-16 be an absolute little ar$ehole and running loose not attending school, raping, drinking, fighting etc.

Hey Victorian Dad, don't you think going from a child computer game addict at 12 to a rapist in one foul swoop is a bit of a stretch? Jeez! Why not just put him in jail for 50 years without parole, better still they have capital punishment here, lets just execute him - I bet if we ran a poll on here some of you would actually vote for that. I can only pray for the childs sake that some of you are never allowed anywhere near children.

The Mother had no idea, her kid was playing a game on her phone as far as she was concerned.

The child has just been...a child....what a surprise. He has been a naughty boy.

AIS and the game developer are 99.999999999% Wrong (note the capital W).

Some TV contributors would do well to turn off their computers and step outside the door and get a dose of reality.

[The stuttering parrot]

Thanks hullupullo I missed it!

[tomyummer]

Of course Line Corp is the one that offers the hacking advice on youtube.

[skippybangkok]

Yes skippy it's the cookie run again but this time the kid is 18 and brought the game for 299 baht per month..

What's happened is that he used his data up after four days and his phone got cut off so he rang the call center and asked why and they said you have to pay your bill of 596 thousand 398 baht before being re connected.

Needless to say the parents are in shock.

Its in the thai paper komchadluek

Waow - mega lol. Someone in AIS is sweating now

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[MyFriend You]

Sell the kid

[Porkster]

Latest news is that AIS has waived the bill !!!

What lessons does that teach???

[skippybangkok]

Latest news is that AIS has waived the bill !!!

What lessons does that teach???

At first they tried to offer a easy payment plan - egg on face big time

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Porkster]

This is just going to get worse and worse as the bills start coming in, we're getting towards the end of the month and it bill time!

There's already been a 591k bill posted on some news channel my mrs showed me yesterday... I wonder who's going to win the million baht bill challenge!

[DrTuner]

Latest news is that AIS has waived the bill !!!

What lessons does that teach???

If you create a huge bill, try to create an outcry in the media to get it nullified ? Works especially well in the Land of Face.

[skippybangkok]

Latest news is that AIS has waived the bill !!!

What lessons does that teach???

If you create a huge bill, try to create an outcry in the media to get it nullified ? Works especially well in the Land of Face.

Don't think that's fair to Thailand and Thai people. Anywhere in the world such bills get sent out cause someone screwed up.

Credit limit was over

Sent from my iPad using ThaiVisa app

[Kasset Tak]

Personally I think that they should be forced to atleast pay a percentage of money because otherwise they will not learn the children that their actions have reactions an parent's to take care of their children and not just give them a toy!

My friend handed her 5 year old daughter the phone to play cookie run and she managed to spend 2500 Baht. I feel sorry because she don't understand just pressing the buttons.

One of my students have been absent from school sins last week... 17 years old and have spent about 25000 Baht on Cookie run. I'm not sure but either his parent's took him out of school to work it off or he is just to beat up to go to school. And I don't feel sorry for that boy, if you are 17 you should be able to understand that if you buy something you have to pay for it!

The son of another friends of mine had used about 30-35 000 Baht, he is 21 and second year student at the uni. My friend sold his sons motorcycle, laptop and iPad and told him to find a job to pay back the rest of the money!

But if we should do as most of you say and in the light that the phone companies canceling the huge bills then my friends bills should not have to be payed either even thou they did not reach 100 000Baht.

Edited June 25, 2014 by Kasset Tak

[paz]

I've just glanced over this thread...

Nobody has said that "Cookie run" and any similar app that allow to accumulate debt on unsecured credit, by delivering virtually nothing, are just a scam by phone companies?

Well, that is what they are;

Edited June 25, 2014 by paz