Disabled mum left broke after 10-year-old son spent thousands on Fortnite

A disabled single mother claims to have been left with no money after her 10-year-old son spent more than a thousand pounds on the game Fortnite by using her bank card.

Cleo Duckett, from Bridgend in south Wales, has been left with an overdraft bill and 'no money' to pay for food or electricity after her son Jayden-Lee spent £1,193.25 (NZ$2,326) on the online video game.

Fortnite, which has become immensely popular with youngsters across the country, sees users fending off monsters, building forts and even battling against other players in a frantic last-gamer-standing survival fight.

The programme also contains in-game purchases where players can buy outfits, weapons and other items.

This is exactly what happened to 46-year-old Cleo, who is currently claiming benefits, the MailOnline reported.

The mother-of-two, who suffers from polio and is in a wheelchair, was completely unaware of the amounting video game bill until she checked her bank account on Friday night.

Cleo, who receives around £700 a month in benefits, said: "I only found out about it all when I went to use the cash machine and there was only £8 left in my account."

A disabled single mother claims to have been left with no money after her 10-year-old son spent more than a thousand pounds on the game Fortnite by using her bank card.

Not long after that, Cleo received a text from the bank saying she was now in her overdraft.

Cleo said: "My son started crying and admitted everything that he had done.

"He had used my bank card behind my back, typed my details into his Xbox and bought lots of games on Fortnite.

"He spent £1,193.25, leaving me around £245 into my overdraft.

"There was £50 here and £50 there, £60 here and £66 there and that's without the VAT.

"I think he must have been paying for different parts of the game."

Cleo said she went to her bank in Cardiff on Saturday morning and was told by staff that it was her responsibility to cover the overdraft debt.

"The bank is refusing to help me because they said my boy is my responsibility and I am responsible for his actions," Cleo said.

"I'm not a criminal. I haven't stolen the money or spent it on games for myself.

"I've been with the bank for more than 20 years and they're just not helping me at all."

Cleo said she has also contacted Fortnite but is still awaiting a response.

"I'll probably never see that money again.

"My boy didn't understand what he was doing - he's only 10.

"He didn't understand that it was real money. He thought he was only getting credits."

Cleo said she has now been offered a payment plan by the bank, but has no money to cover the overdraft installment costs.

Because of this, she said she has been forced to use money from her son's savings account to cover the costs and to survive until her next benefit payment on September 6.

She said: "I'm a single parent and I've got to survive five days with no money. It's scary.

"I've got to buy food and pay for electric and gas and I've been left to manage on my own."

The Co-op bank and Epic Games, who own Fortnite, have been contacted for comment.