Claude Zero-Dollar Purchase Triggers Wave of Bans, Impacting Regular Paying Accounts

According to NetProbe Beating monitoring, Anthropic has once again started a large-scale banning spree. The trigger was the Claude Max 20x "zero-dollar purchase" loophole that emerged over the weekend.

Users were able to access the German SEPA direct debit gateway, enter a correctly formatted IBAN, and exploit the vulnerability. The system prematurely granted access to the Max 20x $200 monthly benefit without confirming the deposit.

The loophole was patched after several hours of exploitation. Subscriptions opened through the exploit were subsequently revoked, and the associated accounts began to be banned.

However, the bans seem to extend beyond just the exploitative accounts. The community witnessed numerous reports from legitimate users, including long-standing accounts, personally paid subscription accounts, and even free accounts that had never used the loophole.

Furthermore, some companies reported that multiple employees were banned on the same day. Speculation arose that shared IP addresses, devices, or payment environments may have triggered collateral risk controls.

As of now, Anthropic has not disclosed the number of accounts banned, nor has it addressed whether there was widespread collateral damage.