Anthropic Erroneously Bills $16.6 Million

Anthropic has confirmed a billing error in which a South Korean user on the free tier was charged $16.6 million, despite no API usage occurring and no card being on file. The erroneous invoices led to the blocking of his credit card and a four-day support inquiry. The developer remy_notes received an invoice of $1,669,875 on July 7, followed by a second invoice that increased the amount to $16,627,739, with no account activity. Despite initial phishing suspicions, the emails came from Anthropic's official domain. His dashboard showed zero API usage and no payment method on file. On July 8, his bank declined two billing attempts as the amounts exceeded the allowed limit. Anthropic confirmed on July 12 that no money was withdrawn and that the invoices were generated due to an error in the automatic charging function. The company clarified that there was no unauthorized access. The user contacted Anthropic for four days and sent about 18 emails to obtain confirmation that the invoices were invalid. This case highlights a larger issue in the industry, as the audit start-up Vaudit found overcharges of about $1.7 million across 60 corporate clients, resulting in an error rate of about 5%.

Disclaimer: This content is provided for general branding and informational purposes only and doesn't constitute financial, investment, legal, or tax advice. Any events, rewards, online events, or related information mentioned herein should not be considered a recommendation, solicitation, or invitation to purchase, sell, trade, or otherwise deal in any crypto assets or to use any services. Crypto assets are highly volatile and may result in loss. WEEX services and online events may not be available in all regions and are subject to applicable laws, regulations, and eligibility requirements. You are responsible for ensuring that your use of WEEX services complies with local laws and for carefully assessing the risks before participating in any crypto-related activities.