WASHINGTON — More than a dozen children’s advocacy groups on Thursday accused Facebook of knowingly deceiving children into racking up fees from games on its social network, the latest in a string of complaints against the company sent to federal regulators.

The groups called on the Federal Trade Commission to investigate whether Facebook violated consumer protection and child privacy laws by duping children into making in-app purchases in games like Angry Birds, PetVille and Ninja Saga, and then making it nearly impossible for children or their parents to seek refunds. The accusation stems from a 2012 lawsuit.

The complaint, filed by 17 groups including Common Sense Media, Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood and the Center for Digital Democracy, says the purchases were often done without a parent’s permission. In some cases, they amounted to hundreds or thousands of dollars.

“Facebook’s exploitative practices targeted a population universally recognized as vulnerable — young people,” the groups said in the complaint.