Regulator PhonePayPlus has warned mobile users and especially their parents that they or their kids may run the risk of racking up huge bills in case they fail to understand basics of smartphone usage or communicate this information to their children.

There were a lot of complaints about children using or misusing mobile applications – their number increased 300% within the last year. A lot of kids are using apparently free applications which turn out to be rackets designed to make them purchase extra content via in app billing. This is warned to be especially risky for minors.

The regulator also noted that kids tend to download so-called free knock-offs of the famous games like Angry Birds, which contain malware charging $25 to phone bills each time the game runs. In addition, parents are also recommended to take notice of premium rate services that are widely advertised in free social media. The regulator points out that there has been a 575% jump in users gaining access to services this way. They usually play on the trust and naivety of kids. In one of the cases a 14-year-old girl was tricked into virtual credits after a fake friend asked her for credits to call her dying granny.

In most cases, kids aged between 12 and 14 are tricked into sharing and liking a promotion on Facebook which appeared to be part of a scam promoting a premium rate competition. The regulator came to a conclusion that it will have to take action against such misleading promotions, and is going to consult networks to get such content removed. In addition, it will also lobby government and industry to ensure regulation is able to keep pace with changes in the digital market, particularly with the emerging risk to consumers.