Consumers hit by rise in OTT sharing scams

In April, a man surnamed Kim bought a four-month streaming subscription for 16,000 won through an online account-sharing platform. Two months later, when access issues arose, he contacted the provider and was told he needed to switch to an annual plan to restore service. After paying 40,000 won for a one-year subscription, the service was abruptly suspended, and the provider became unreachable.

Consumer complaints are increasing over platforms that facilitate account sharing for over-the-top (OTT) services such as Netflix. These services group three to four users to share a single account and divide the subscription cost.

According to the Korea Consumer Agency and the Korea National Council of Consumer Organizations, the number of OTT-related inquiries submitted to the 1372 Consumer Counseling Center last month rose to 237, a 7.4-fold increase from 32 cases in the same month last year. In most cases, consumers said they were urged to extend their subscriptions for “account stability,” but the service was later suspended and the provider could no longer be contacted, making refunds impossible.

Complaints also surged in other areas. Credit card–related inquiries rose to 704 last month, up 143.6 percent from 289 in the same month last year. Most cases involved smishing scams, in which consumers received text messages about credit cards they had never applied for.

Inquiries related to online information services also rose, reaching 517 last month, a 122.8 percent increase from 232 a year earlier. Many consumers said their social media accounts were suspended or blocked without prior notice, despite not violating any platform guidelines.

The Korea Consumer Agency advises affected individuals to prepare transaction records and supporting documents and seek help through the 1372 Consumer Counseling Center or the Consumer24 website.


김다연기자 damong@donga.com