The key facts
- The AI psychologist's test costs 29 rubles; two days later the service attempts to charge 2490 rubles, and if funds are insufficient — 990 and then 490 rubles.
- More than ten platforms with a similar scheme were discovered; the owner is listed as 28-year-old blogger Anna, living in Antalya, Turkey.
- Rospotrebnadzor twice issued warnings to the entrepreneur; users complain about difficulties getting their money back.
A cheap test and large charges
Russians have begun complaining about artificial intelligence-based psychological support services that attract customers with inexpensive tests and then automatically charge significantly larger amounts. As Baza found out (Life.ru reports citing its data), the initial service may cost as little as 29 rubles, after which users face attempts to charge thousands of rubles.
How the Mary AI Psychologist scheme works
The Telegram bot Mary AI Psychologist has come under scrutiny. The service offers to take a psychological test for a symbolic fee, and two days after the 29-ruble payment it attempts to charge 2490 rubles to the linked card. If there are insufficient funds, the system, according to journalists' description, reduces the requested amount first to 990 and then to 490 rubles. Customers are attracted through Telegram channels dedicated to psychology: after the test, the user is offered to purchase a 'personal personality guide'. In total, more than ten platforms with a similar monetization scheme were discovered.
Who is behind the service and the regulators' response
The business is registered to 28-year-old blogger Anna, who lives in Antalya, Turkey. Users complained about difficulties getting refunds for unused consultations, and Rospotrebnadzor twice issued warnings to the entrepreneur. The owner of the service refused to answer journalists' questions, suggesting they review the terms of use on the website.
What experts say
Experts interviewed note that developing such an AI service can take just a few hours, and the main source of income becomes subscriptions with automatic renewal, under which money is charged at short intervals. Experts recommend carefully studying the payment terms of digital services, especially if linking a bank card is required to access an inexpensive test.
