The short answer
If your child is in immediate danger, call 999. For suspected grooming, report it to CEOP at ceop.police.uk/safety-centre. For bullying, fake accounts, hacking or general worry, call the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000, and children can call Childline free on 0800 11114142. For a purchase made without permission, ask Google Play for a refund within 120 days43. Then lead with reassurance.
- What is CEOP?
- The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Command, part of the National Crime Agency. Children, parents and carers can report suspected grooming or sexual abuse, and a Child Protection Advisor reviews it.
Who to call
Save these now, before you need them. If your child is in immediate danger, always call 999 first41.
What's happened?
- My child is in immediate danger999Call first41
- I suspect grooming or predatory contactCEOPReport at ceop.police.uk/safety-centre41
- Bullying, fake accounts, hacking or a general worry0808 800 5000NSPCC Helpline for adults, weekdays 10am–4pm4142
- My child wants to talk to someone0800 1111Childline, free, any time4142
- A purchase was made without permissionGet a refundThrough Google Play, within 120 days43
Then, whatever happened: "You're not in trouble, and I'm glad you told me." What to say next.
Key facts
Free to quote, with a link to this page
- 999
In the UK, call 999 if a child is in immediate danger, and report suspected grooming to CEOP at ceop.police.uk/safety-centre41.
Source: CEOP (National Crime Agency)
- CEOP
covers sexual abuse and grooming only. For bullying, fake accounts or hacking, the NSPCC Helpline or Childline are better first calls41.
Source: CEOP (National Crime Agency)
- $19M
Google previously paid at least $19 million in FTC-mandated refunds after children ran up charges without a password, or in a 30-minute window after one was entered44.
Source: CBC News
If you suspect grooming or predatory contact
- Report it to CEOP. The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Command, part of the National Crime Agency, at ceop.police.uk/safety-centre. Children, parents and carers can report, and a Child Protection Advisor reviews it41.
- Know CEOP's remit. It covers sexual abuse and grooming only, not bullying, fake accounts or hacking41. For those, the NSPCC Helpline or Childline are better first calls.
Unauthorised spending: get a refund in 2 steps
Find the purchase
In the Play Store app, tap your profile picture, then Payments and subscriptions → Budget and history. On a computer, go to play.google.com, then Payments & subscriptions → Budget & order history43.
Request a refund
Choose Report a problem on the order and ask for a refund, explaining what happened. Report a charge you don't recognise within 120 days, and allow up to four days for a decision43.
1Tap your profile picture, then Payments and subscriptions
2Tap Budget and history
3Find the purchase, then Report a problem
Steps 1 and 2 are real screens from our own phone (Pixel 7, Android 17, checked 15 October 2026), with name and photo hidden. Step 3 is a drawing: there were no purchases on our account to show.
Uninstalling a game? Remove it through Settings → Apps, not just by deleting the icon. Uninstalling doesn't cancel a subscription, so check Payments and subscriptions in the Play Store too.
Refunds like this aren't a favour. Google previously paid at least $19 million in FTC-mandated refunds after children ran up charges without a password, or in a 30-minute window after one was entered44.
Myth vs fact
What parents often hear, checked against the sources
Myth
“CEOP handles every online problem.”
Fact
CEOP covers sexual abuse and grooming only. For bullying, fake accounts or hacking, call the NSPCC Helpline or Childline41.
The most important part
"You're not in trouble, and I'm glad you told me."
Lead with reassurance, not blame. It goes further than any question about what they did wrong.
Many children delay telling a parent because they fear the reaction more than the incident itself45, so how you respond in the first few minutes shapes whether they'll come to you again.
What to say in the first few minutes
Teamwork first. Questions can wait:
- The first few minutes
Thank you for telling me. We'll sort it out together.
It tells them they did the right thing, before anything else.
Share - The first few minutes
Can you show me what happened?
Let them lead, at their own pace.
Share - The first few minutes
It's not your fault.
Say it more than once. It's what they most need to hear.
Share
Put it into practice
Actions you can take now
Everything this chapter covers, as a short to-do list you can work through now, while it's fresh.
Quick wins, a few minutes each. Tick them off as you go.
0 of 4 done
Common questions
Who do I contact if my child is groomed in a game?
Report it to CEOP at ceop.police.uk/safety-centre. Children, parents and carers can report, and a Child Protection Advisor reviews it. If your child is in immediate danger, call 99941.
What does CEOP deal with?
Sexual abuse and grooming only. For bullying, fake accounts or hacking, call the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000, or Childline on 0800 11114142.
How do I get a refund for a purchase my child made on Google Play?
Go to play.google.com, then Payments & subscriptions → Budget & order history, and choose Report a problem on the order. Report a charge you don't recognise within 120 days, and allow up to four days for a decision43.
How do I fully remove a game and its subscriptions?
Uninstall it through Settings → Apps, not just by deleting the icon. Uninstalling doesn't cancel a subscription, so check Payments and subscriptions in the Play Store too.
What should I say to my child if something has happened?
Lead with reassurance: "You're not in trouble, and I'm glad you told me." Many children delay telling a parent because they fear the reaction45, so how you respond in the first few minutes shapes whether they come to you next time.
Sources
- CEOP (National Crime Agency), Child Exploitation and Online Protection Command: make a report · ceop.police.uk
- NSPCC, NSPCC Helpline · nspcc.org.uk
- Google Play Help, Request a refund on Google Play · support.google.com
- CBC News, Google to refund $19M US for kids’ mobile spending sprees · amp.cbc.ca
- Net Psychology, Online Grooming: How Predators Manipulate Children (2026) · netpsychology.org
Page updates
- Chapter 11 published as its own page, with real Google Play screens checked on 15 October 2026.
