Why Are Developers Buying Old (Even Banned) Google Play Console Accounts For Thousands of Dollars? The Dark Truth

On a Tuesday afternoon, in a Telegram group with thousands of anonymous avatars scrolling at breakneck speed, a strange message appears:

“Selling aged Google Play Console account — clean, verified, ready for publishing. $250. DM me.”

It’s not an isolated post. Scroll further and you’ll see others:

“Buying suspended accounts. Any status. Let’s deal.”

The idea sounds ridiculous. Why would anyone want a banned developer account that can’t publish apps to the world’s biggest Android store? And yet, the demand is real. In hushed Telegram groups, Facebook pages, and underground forums, there’s an active trade in Google Play Console accounts — a black market that has quietly become a side hustle for some and a survival strategy for others.

This is the story of how a developer tool meant to empower creators became a shadow currency.

How an Ordinary Tool Became a Commodity

Google Play Console wasn’t designed to be mysterious. For $25, any developer could open an account, upload their apps, and reach billions of Android users worldwide. It was meant to be democratic — a low barrier to entry that gave anyone a shot at publishing the next big thing.

But over time, Google tightened the rules. Spam apps, fraudulent adware, and outright malware turned the open gates into a flood of abuse. Google responded with stricter reviews, identity checks, and a crackdown that led to millions of apps being blocked and countless developer accounts being permanently suspended.

That crackdown birthed a new market: banned developers — or those simply unwilling to jump through the new hoops — began looking for shortcuts. And an old Play Console account, especially one with a “clean history,” became gold.

Who’s Buying, and Why

Spend an evening lurking in these Telegram groups, and you start to see the buyer profiles emerge. They aren’t indie dreamers building the next productivity hit. They’re operators — hustlers trying to get past Google’s walls.

1. The App Cloners
These are the hustlers who take a popular app, strip it down, rebrand it, and republish it. When one account gets banned, they simply hop to another. An “aged” account lets them reappear under a cloak of credibility.

2. The Fraudsters
Subscription scams, fake antivirus apps, ad-fraud clickers — these schemes thrive only as long as they’re live. For them, $200 for an account is nothing compared to the thousands they can rake in before Google’s systems catch them.

3. The Resurrection Gamblers
Perhaps the strangest buyers are those who seek out suspended or even closed accounts. They believe — often incorrectly — that they can appeal, reset, or exploit some loophole to bring it back. Sometimes, they just want the app package names tied to it.

4. Restricted Region Publishers
In some regions, verification is tougher or outright blocked. For these developers, buying an old account from a different country is the only way to publish globally.

To all of them, the account is not a dead end. It’s a ticket back into the game.

Who’s Selling

On the other side of the screen are the sellers. And often, they’re not criminals at all.

Some are students who once uploaded a class project, forgot about it, and now discover someone will pay $150 for their abandoned account. Others are indie devs who gave up on Android development years ago and see no harm in cashing out.

There are even stories of side hustlers creating accounts solely to sell them later, treating Play Console like an asset to be flipped.

But what many don’t realize is that their names, IDs, and payment details remain attached to those accounts. If the buyer uses it for scams or malware, the original owner’s identity could end up tied to the fallout.

Why Even Closed Accounts Sell

Here’s the mystery that baffles outsiders: why would anyone buy a closed account that can’t publish apps?

The reasons are stranger than you think:

• Hopes of Reinstatement: Some buyers gamble that they can appeal and reopen the account.
• Package Names: A closed account might still hold unique package IDs, which can be valuable for cloning or rebranding apps.
• Credibility Factor: There’s a widespread (though debatable) belief that older accounts carry more weight in Google’s systems.

It’s speculative. Risky. But in a world where every backdoor is worth testing, even banned accounts get a price tag.

The Economics of the Underground

This isn’t a casual swap. It’s a thriving micro-economy.

Prices vary:

• A fresh account with minimal history might go for $50–$100.
• An aged, clean account can fetch $250–$400.
• Even suspended accounts are listed for $30–$80, sold to the gamblers.

Transactions happen through middlemen, often with escrow services built into these groups. Telegram and Facebook marketplaces are littered with sellers who claim to provide “bulk accounts.” Some even advertise “warranties” — a replacement if the account gets suspended too quickly.

It has all the hallmarks of a parallel industry: supply, demand, pricing tiers, customer service — just for something completely forbidden.

The Risks Nobody Talks About

Both sides of the trade are walking a tightrope.

For Buyers

• Accounts are often flagged immediately once reused.
• Many get scammed — sellers disappear after payment.
• Using a purchased account risks permanent bans across all linked Google services.

For Sellers

• They may be unknowingly connected to fraud, scams, or malware.
• Their verified details (name, ID, bank account) remain tied to the account.
• If Google investigates, the trail leads back to them.

For the Ecosystem

• Every time a scam app slips back in, it erodes trust in the Play Store.
• Legitimate developers face stricter rules because of fraudsters gaming the system.
• Users ultimately pay the price, with data theft, malware, or fake subscriptions.

Google’s Crackdown

Google isn’t blind to this. The company has repeatedly stressed that Play Console accounts are non-transferable. Once sold, they’re liable for suspension.

In 2023 alone, Google blocked 2.28 million policy-violating apps and banned 200,000 developer accounts linked to fraud. The company also expanded its identity verification program, requiring government-issued IDs and facial recognition checks for new developers.

But even as enforcement grows sharper, the black market adapts. Sellers rotate through identities. Buyers jump between accounts. Telegram groups keep growing.

The Big Debate

This black market raises thorny questions.

Is it proof that Google is too strict, punishing small developers and leaving them desperate enough to buy accounts?

Or does it show that enforcement is working — and fraudsters will simply never stop trying to find loopholes?

Some developers argue that Google should create a rehabilitation path: a way for banned accounts to earn back trust rather than being permanently locked out. Others believe that any loosening would only invite more abuse.

What’s clear is that the black market is a symptom of deeper tensions between platform control and developer freedom.

Expert Voices

Security researchers warn that these underground markets are often fronts for larger fraud operations. “Every account sold is potentially another malicious app in the store,” one cybersecurity analyst told us.

Meanwhile, in developer forums, you’ll find threads where newcomers innocently ask if selling an old account is “safe.” The responses are sobering: warnings of scams, permanent bans, and even legal risks.

What’s Next

The future of this trade may depend on how the ecosystem shifts.

• AI detection could make it harder for recycled accounts to slip past.
• Apple’s App Store already enforces stricter controls — but some predict a similar market could appear there.
• Alternative app stores (Samsung Galaxy Store, Huawei AppGallery, or even decentralized blockchain-based platforms) may siphon demand.

But as long as Google Play remains the gateway to billions of Android users, the incentive to trade accounts will remain.

Closing Reflection

Back in that Telegram group, the seller who posted about his “aged Play Console account” got a reply within minutes. Negotiations start. Money changes hands. The cycle continues.

For some, it’s just a hustle. For others, it’s a way to sneak scams past Google’s walls. For Google, it’s another headache in the endless battle to keep its store safe.

And for the rest of us — developers, users, the ecosystem — it’s a reminder that even something as mundane as a developer login can become a currency in the digital underground.

💬 What do you think?

• Is this black market a sign Google is too harsh on developers — or too lenient with fraudsters?
• Should there be a second chance system for banned devs, or should the walls stay high?
• Would you sell your old account if someone offered $3000 for it?

This is the underground story few want to talk about. But it’s one every developer should know.