Girl swapped numbers with someone she met on Roblox — one honest mistake cost her mom over $5,185
Online interactions with strangers have become increasingly common with the rise of social media. Many people build steady connections without ever meeting in person, but it can take a messy turn when those relationships end up costing a significant amount of money. A similar instance happened with a Californian woman, as reported by Newsweek on Thursday, April 2, 2026. A Reddit post by the user who goes by u/picklemethis79 detailed how events unfolded, leading to a shocking $5,185 bill she never saw coming, caused by a naive mistake by her daughter.
The user uploaded the post on March 31, 2026. It was titled, “I feel so defeated, got a $5,185 cell phone bill.” The post explained that the amount was unexpected and extremely high, approximately 13 times their normal bill, which is about $385. Although it initially appeared to be an error, the 46-year-old eventually discovered that the amount on the bill was actually what she owed. It all stemmed from a small mistake her daughter made when she met a person on the online gaming platform Roblox. She wanted to talk to them and called, but she likely didn't realize the call was international.
“She didn't know she was making an international call and talked and talked,” the user described in the post. The Californian woman also mentioned, “I could have sworn it was an error, but no, I'm getting screwed.” Even though she had "5K in savings," this unexpected huge expense made her feel "defeated." What seemed like a routine online interaction between two people turned costly, as the daughter unknowingly made a cross-border call.
Responding to a comment on the same post, the woman confirmed that the company offered her an installment payment plan and blocked international calls, while she had to pay the full amount and was not given any discount. The shared Reddit post has now been upvoted over 6,500 times and has 273 comments. People reacted in different ways; some offered advice to the woman, while others questioned the expense and suggested how it could have been avoided.
u/warmvanillapumpkin advised, “Escalate it. They know people can’t pay a $5K cell phone bill.” Some users also pointed out that her daughter’s involvement with Roblox was something to be more mindful of. “You need to be monitoring your daughter's internet activity,” u/martapap added. Some people were even surprised to see the amount of the woman's usual monthly phone bill. A user who goes by the username u/conanmagnuson wondered, “People are paying $385 a month for cell service?” The consequences of this incident, if nothing else, certainly forced the woman to keep a closer eye on her daughter's internet activities.
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