'I didn't want them to get mad at me': Online gamers pressured eight-year-old boy playing Fortnite to send photos of his mother's driver's license and cards

  • Minnesota boy Charlie Pearson, 8, was coerced into sharing his mom's personal information while playing popular video game Fortnite
  • He received text messages and phone calls from a player in North Carolina 
  • The player asked for pictures of Charlie's mom's driver's license, Visa, and cards
  • Charlie was caught by his mother as he went through her purses
  • He was told if he sent the information then the player would give him 'V-bucks', money in the game that purchases costumes and dance moves
  • Police say an investigation into matter is difficult as it's only a crime if the players do something with that personal information  

By Marlene Lenthang For Dailymail.com

Published: | Updated:

An eight-year-old Minnesota boy is just one of millions of players obsessed with the video game Fortnite.

But for his Lakeville family, the survival video game became a nightmare because young Charlie Pearson sent photos of his mother's personal information to other gamers.

Charlie's chats with gamers led to incessant text messages and phone calls, urging the child to send his mother's credit card information and driver's license but warning him do to so quietly.

Minnesota boy Charlie Pearson, 8, (pictured above) says he was coerced into sharing his mom's personal information while playing popular video game Fortnite

Minnesota boy Charlie Pearson, 8, (pictured above) says he was coerced into sharing his mom's personal information while playing popular video game Fortnite

A North Carolina player bombarded Charlie with texts and calls asking for his mom's card details

A North Carolina player bombarded Charlie with texts and calls asking for his mom's card details

Charlie's mother Krista Kneeland-Pearson was shocked to find him rifling through two of her purses one night

Charlie's mother Krista Kneeland-Pearson was shocked to find him rifling through two of her purses one night

Pearson's mother Krista Kneeland-Pearson said the game first became a problem for her young son when he unintentionally began to spend a lot of money on 'V-bucks', currency in the game that gives players costumes and dance moves.

'He started spending a lot of money without even realizing what he was doing,' she said to NBC. 

He became so obsessed with playing she limited his screen time but she became concerned when she found his door locked with the lights on in the middle of the night.

'When I looked into his room my purse was on the floor, actually two purses were on the floor,' Kneeland-Pearson said. 

Charlie said 'I really didn't want to do it' but felt pressured by the messages he received 

Charlie said 'I really didn't want to do it' but felt pressured by the messages he received 

Gaming gone wrong: He sent them photos of his mother's driver's license and cards

Gaming gone wrong: He sent them photos of his mother's driver's license and cards

Charlie's mother says they targeted her Visa, it is not clear if he sent that information through

Charlie's mother says they targeted her Visa, it is not clear if he sent that information through

Then she realized her son had sent photos of her driver's license and cards from her wallet.

When she looked at his phone she saw he was bombarded with messages on the game as well as text messages and phone calls from North Carolina.

As for Charlie, he said he felt pressured to share his mom's information. 

'I really didn't want to do it. They just kept on telling me to and then I didn't want them to get mad at me, so I just did it,' he said. 

In one message Charlie was told 'Remember don't tell her, she will get mad. Okay?' 

Charlie was told if he sent the information then the player would give him 'V-bucks', money in the game that purchases costumes and dance moves 

Charlie was told if he sent the information then the player would give him 'V-bucks', money in the game that purchases costumes and dance moves 

Charlie was playing the popular survival video game Fortnite when he was scammed

Charlie was playing the popular survival video game Fortnite when he was scammed

'[Charlie] said, "He told me that if I showed him this stuff he would give me V-bucks". Specifically, he was looking for my Visa,' mom Kneeland-Pearson said. 

Concerned, she filed a police report but authorities said that the investigation into the matter is difficult.

According to the cops, getting someone's personal information isn't a crime itself. 

'Unless somebody takes steps to do something with that information, it isn't a crime to possess it. You just have to educate your kids and let them know that you should never be giving a stranger information about yourself online,' Lieutenant Bill Gerl said. 

As for Charlie, he's learned from his mistakes. 

'I learned not to do that again,' adding that he's done playing Fortnite for a while. 

'It makes me really nervous. What is going to happen with all of my information? On top of that, how scary it is that this guy was able to talk to Charlie into doing something behind my back?'     

Fortnite

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