Chinese Teen Spends $100,000 of Mom’s Money To Buy Virtual Gifts For Male Livestreamers
By Ryan General
A Chinese mother is fighting to recover the 657,000 yuan ($99,300) her daughter had used to buy “virtual gifts” for the good-looking male hosts of a popular local live-streaming app in China.
The mom, identified only as Liu, had earlier filed a lawsuit after failing to get a refund of the large amount of money that her 16-year-old daughter Xiao Ya spent on the app Inke.
During the hearing, the lawyer representing app operator Beijing MeeLive Network Technology argued that daughter’s account and all of its purchases were registered under the mother’s name. Tracing evidence was reportedly made more difficult as most of the purchases were done overseas.
While she lost the case in September, Liu had already filed an appeal two weeks ago with Beijing No 3 Intermediate People’s Court. Her case is still pending, according to Legal Mirror (via China Daily).
The app features mostly young, good-looking men who broadcast their daily lives on live video discussing a variety of topics such as music and gaming. It generates income from in-app purchases from users.
Inke users can choose from an assortment of virtual items, with the cheapest costing just $0.02 or 0.1 yuan (a flower), while the most expensive priced at about $520 or 3,350 yuan (a paradise island).
Xiao Ya reportedly showered her favorite hosts with digital gifts of money while studying in Canada. Liu, who is a senior corporate executive from Beijing, said that her daughter not only used up her tuition money but also withdrew from Liu’s bank account for her online idols.
“I was shocked when I found out my daughter had blown hundreds of thousands of yuan online,” Liu was quoted as saying. “But my daughter told me: So what? Everyone else is doing it; even my classmate’s dad is in on the fun.”
Xiao Ya had apparently stolen her mother’s ID and bank account number to fund her expensive hobby. While Liu noted that her daughter may have splurged on the app as she may have had some difficulty adjusting to her new life in Canada, she stated that the amount of money spent on virtual items was over the top.
Xiao Ya had apparently stolen her mother’s ID and bank account number to fund her expensive hobby. While Liu noted that her daughter may have splurged on the app as she may have had some difficulty adjusting to her new life in Canada, she stated that the amount of money spent on virtual items was over the top.
Feature image via Youtube/UNIQ with UNICORN
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