Runescape Scam

I just spent half the day on the phone, trying to resolve almost $200 in 900 number phone charges. Turns out some of the charges were from Runescape, a MMORPG. MMORPG stands for Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game.
Runescape is similar to World of Warcraft, and both have a lot of scams associated with them. My second youngest plays because it's ostensibly free, but the scams have cost us a lot of money. And since many of the scams work via offshore companies, there's no way to prosecute.
A couple of years ago, one of the scammers hijacked my son's account. In order to get his account back, my son was persuaded to give the scammer confidential information. The next thing I know, hundreds of dollars are being deducted from my checking account. Since the scammer was offshore and my son admitted to it, my bank refused to refund my money.
What I know now is that minors can't make contracts. A minor (usually, a person under 18 years of age) who makes a contract can rescind or void it, unless it's for a necessity, such as food, shelter or, in some states, a car. Wish I'd known that, but I'm sure my bank did!
Another Runescape scam charges money via 900-226-2324 and 900-787-3326 via MCI phone charges.
First, I called my phone provider, TDS, which was, from the very start, supposed to have a 900 block on my phone. After arguing for a half hour, I was told to call MCI.
An MCI representative then told me that they're just a billing service for these companies. However, the representative did give some phone numbers to call. Surprisingly, I was able to speak to a representative from the 900 number company, who told me all I have to do is contact my local phone company and tell a representative the following:

• The charges are unauthorized
• I refuse to pay
• Do a chargeback

For a list of some of the scams associated with Runescape, you can visit Gameolosophy at http://www.gameolosophy.com/Games/Online/RuneScape/Great-Ways-to-Scam-in-Runescape.25488.
Just in case the link goes bad, because this site is actually helping scammers, here are a few of the most popular:

• Making people members for free, press 111!
• Trading scams, where higher priced items are put up for sale, then switched
• Item duplication scams, where someone offers to duplicate your items, but steals them instead
• Jagex staff impersonation scam asks for your password, then 'jacks your account
• Password changing to one given by the scammer, who then 'jacks you account

These are only a few of the many and ever-changing scams in Runescape. And it's no better in World of Warcraft.
If you want to let your kids play these MMORPGs, tell them about how scams are perpetrated.