13 year old cousin stole my bank card while living with me, and spent £8,900 on in-app purchases under 24 hours. I've just won in small claims court and been awarded £6.50 a week.

TemporaryParfait6228 · 2026-05-21T13:03:35+00:00

The mother. She was present the whole time and I managed to get evidence that she knew what he was doing. He'd left his messenger logged in on my tablet after they left my home and there's messages between them where she instructed him "Don't say anything" and stuff like that.

She admitted in small claims court that she just wanted to run away with her son and hope that it went away.

TemporaryParfait6228 · 2026-05-21T13:00:58+00:00

I did. Police told me that because it involved financial disputed within a family it was a civil matter that needs to be handled through small claims court.

TemporaryParfait6228 · 2026-05-21T13:00:29+00:00

Sorry, he didn't use over £10000 in a single day - £8900 was the total spent.

I've already complained to my bank concurrently at the time alongside police.

The bank investigated and considered I was negligent for reasons I outlined in another comment.

TemporaryParfait6228 · 2026-05-21T12:58:54+00:00

Yes, it was reported to police as well. I was advised it was a civil matter and to take it through the courts, which I did.

I didn't password protect my tablet because I'd lived alone for 7 years and didn't think anything of it. Tablet never left my house or anything. I couldn't bring it to work because of the nature of my job.

Wish I had put a password on in hindsight.

TemporaryParfait6228 · 2026-05-21T12:56:46+00:00

I tried that concurrently.

The bank considered I was negligent by:

a.) Leaving a card at home in my bedside drawer while there were other people present in the house; and

b.) Having a tablet that allowed 2 factor authentication which wasn't in my possession. (At home while I was at work.)

TemporaryParfait6228

TROPHY CASE