Ask HN: Gemini bill suddenly hit $2,500 in one day after hackathon API key exposure
kinj28 · hn · 2026-10-21
An HN user reports their Gemini bill suddenly spiked to $2,500 in a single day after using the API key in a Google Apps Script at a Bay Area hackathon. Despite normally light usage (2.5 Flash-class models), Google started charging their card every 30 minutes or so. Google support promised a significant waiver but has been slow to act. The thread is a cautionary tale about exposed API keys being abused and the pain of resolving it with support.
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