Woman stole ?1,000 from her mother to buy junk in Candy Crush Saga

Addiction is a scary thing

I’ve played Candy Crush Saga and my share of match-three games as a mobile game fanatic, but to date I’ve not spent a dime on any of the free-to-play giants. I can understand wanting to spend a dollar or two here and there for some power-ups, but never the exorbitant amounts some players spend.

An “adult” woman in Harwich, Essex took buying some additional items so ridiculously far that I’m honestly shocked. After being appointed caretaker of her mother, Sally-Anne Turner racked up £1,000 in charges from Mom’s bank account in Candy Crush Saga and other online games.

Turner’s mother became increasingly suspicious as she noted that a large sum of money had been taken from her account between February 2012 and January 2014, and when the truth came out in Chelmsford Crown Court, Turner was sentenced to 12 weeks of jail, a year’s worth of suspension, and a three-month curfew between 8 PM and 6 AM.

While it appears Turner’s lawyer says the woman is “remorseful” for what she did, I can’t help but think she’s only sorry because she got caught — or perhaps she couldn’t help herself. Addiction is scary, so I’m trying to reserve judgment on this woman, but I can’t imagine pocketing that much money from my loved ones on something so silly as Candy Crush Saga and other free-to-play vices. It’s a weird world.

Woman stole £1,000 from disabled mother to feed Candy Crush addiction [The Telegraph]