Hyderabad Police have warned parents after an increasing number of cyber fraud complaints were traced to children aged between 10 and 17 spending money on multiplayer online games using payment details stored on family members’ mobile phones. Police Commissioner V.C. Sajjanar said many complaints initially appear to involve financial fraud but later reveal unauthorised in-game purchases made by children, with grandparents’ phones emerging as a common target due to saved cards, active UPI accounts and logged-in net banking services.
Cyber Fraud Complaints Linked to Children’s Gaming
According to the advisory, cybercrime investigators are receiving a growing number of complaints that are eventually traced to children making purchases in online games. The commissioner said grandparents’ mobile phones are frequently misused because they often contain saved payment methods that are less likely to be closely monitored.
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He also noted that mobile phones originally provided for online classes are increasingly being used for prolonged and unsupervised gaming sessions, including late-night play with friends.
Parents Advised to Strengthen Payment Security
The advisory urged parents to remove saved debit and credit cards and disable UPI autofill options on devices that children can access, including those used by grandparents. Families have also been asked to enable parental controls, require PIN or biometric authentication for every purchase and activate transaction alerts to detect unauthorised payments promptly.
Police said these measures could significantly reduce the risk of accidental or unauthorised spending linked to online gaming.
WHO Recognition and Behavioural Warning
Sajjanar said the World Health Organization has recognised gaming disorder as a disease, describing it as a condition marked by impaired control over gaming and prioritising gaming over studies, sleep and family interactions despite negative consequences. He said excessive gaming can lead to aggression, declining academic performance, sleep deprivation, eye strain and reduced social interaction.
The commissioner advised parents to set screen-time limits, monitor behavioural changes such as irritability, disturbed sleep and falling academic performance, and seek professional counselling if symptoms persist. He clarified that the advisory was not against gaming itself but cautioned that unsupervised access could expose children to financial loss and, in some cases, online grooming or abuse.
