Apple came under fire last year from parents whose children had racked up credit card charges on apps that were supposed to be “free.” Apple wanted the lawsuit dismissed, but a judge found the parents suffered sufficient harm to pursue the case, reports PaidContent. Known as "bait apps," they refer to kids' games that are free in the iTunes Store but allow players to buy virtual goods as in-app purchases while playing. U.S. District Judge Edward Da Vila responded to Apple’s request by upholding four of the parents’ five claims, including allegations that Apple violated consumer protection laws by falsely marketing the apps as free.
This happened to me. My four year old purchased $99.00 in "coins" in a free app before I knew what had happened!