Nine-year-old racks up $118,000 ad bill with dad's company card
A child promoted his Minecraft channel with $118,000 of advertising after finding his father's saved company payment details on Google.
Mike, 9, started a YouTube channel called Mighty Mike Plays to share Minecraft and Roblox gameplay with friends. Dave showed Mike how to run a small $20 ad campaign when views were slow.
Mike then figured out how to create his own campaigns after seeing how the system worked. Mike's logic was straightforward: spending more money should attract more views.
The problem arose because Dave's work credit card was saved to the Google account linked to his work email and files. When his employer discovered $118,000 in advertising charges from the previous three weeks, a meeting with finance staff followed.
Some promoted videos reportedly reached around 200,000 views. Dave says he did not know if he would have to repay the money or if his job was at risk, and the situation is still under review.
The family now plans to add spending limits and parental controls.
- 9
- Child's age
- $118,000
- Advertising bill
- around 200,000 views
- Video reach
- previous three weeks
- Time period
Why it mattersThe story reveals a common security gap: payment details saved in shared accounts can give children access to real money without meaningful spending limits, a risk many parents do not consider.
AustraliaThe incident highlights digital safety risks Australian families face as children spend more time on gaming and social media platforms with built-in advertising tools.
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 8 d ago
