Boy, 9, steals $6k from family to buy Roblox game cards, heartbroken mum earns $2k a month
Nicholas Yong
TNP
Oct 11, 2025
The money the couple had placed in a drawer was getting less and less, and the pocket money their daughter had painstakingly saved up also went missing.
It turned out that their nine-year-old son had taken the cash, almost $6,000 in total.
Ms Xu, 50, told Shin Min Daily News that her son, a Primary 3 student, is addicted to the online gaming platform Roblox and has spent almost $6,000 on game cards in the past three months.
The multiplayer platform allows users to design, share, and experience various games and virtual worlds.
"He stole all the money from home," said Ms Xu. "I noticed that the cash in the drawer was missing, but he hesitated and didn't dare to admit it when I asked him."
"Later, I found out that he had taken $4,000 from his sister, which she had saved up for a long time, to buy game cards," she added.
The boy bought the cards from a convenience store at Block 101 Towner Road before depositing the money into his mobile phone app.
"He even gave some of the cards to friends. He didn't know the exact amount, and I don't know if he was influenced or encouraged by his classmates to spend money."
Mrs Xu, who works as a stall assistant, told Shin Min that she and her husband do not earn much from their respective jobs. She was heartbroken and angry to discover that the money deposited into the app could not be retrieved.
"My monthly salary is only $2,000, and my take-home pay is only $1,600. It really hurts to see him spend almost three months' salary in one go."
While her husband has told off the boy, the couple is more concerned about their son's attitude towards money and his addiction to online games. She also questioned if convenience stores should warn or stop underage customers from making large purchases.
"Although these shops are operating legally, shouldn't there be restrictions if they are close to schools? I hope the relevant authorities will pay attention to this."
Ms. Xu also urged other parents to be more vigilant and monitor their children's online spending behavior.
"I don't want more families to end up like us, with their hard-earned money being spent on games."
