Nearly 60 Cases Reported in June Alone, with Cumulative Total Approaching 100
Consumers Lured into Purchasing One-Year Subscriptions, Then Cut Off
Shift to Underground Transactions via Online Cafes and Open Chat Rooms
YouTube Premium account sharing scams are on the rise. Scammers lure users into subscribing to plans not available in Korea, require payment in cash, and then cut off all contact. The Seoul Metropolitan Government has taken measures to suspend sales on major open markets.
According to the Seoul Electronic Commerce Center on June 24, there were a total of 58 reported cases of damages related to YouTube account sharing services this month alone, accounting for 59.8% of all cases. The cumulative number of reported damages over the past six months has reached 97.
After the price increase of YouTube's paid service, which allows ad-free video viewing, the spread of account sharing services has led to a rise in damages. The main platforms where damages are concentrated include 'ShareJS' (31 cases) and 'SafeShare' (10 cases). Many users who purchased a one-year subscription experienced account suspension within 1 to 4 weeks.
In the case of 'ShareJS', which received the most reports, consumers whose subscriptions were about to expire were informed that, due to the need for increased account management stability, renewal was only possible with a one-year plan. After inducing payment in cash, the service was suspended within 1 to 4 weeks and all contact was unilaterally cut off, resulting in damages.
Sellers of YouTube account sharing services use virtual private networks (VPNs) to subscribe to the 'YouTube Premium Family Plan', which is only available in certain countries. They then add consumers who purchase the account sharing service as family members. The YouTube Family Plan, which is not officially available in Korea, allows the main subscriber to share their YouTube account with up to five family members, making it more affordable than standard paid plans.
In February last year, the Seoul Metropolitan Government also issued a consumer damage warning and suspended related sales on major open markets in response to a surge in similar cases. However, the authorities analyzed that this activity has since moved underground, with advertisements and sales now taking place discreetly through peer-to-peer trading platforms, Naver Cafes, and KakaoTalk open chat rooms.
Kim Myungseon, Director of Fair Economy at the Seoul Metropolitan Government, said, "Using account sharing passes to access services not officially provided in Korea violates company policies and terms of service, and damages can occur at any time." Kim also emphasized, "While it is important to strengthen monitoring to prevent the recurrence of similar damages, it is also necessary to create an environment where domestic consumers can choose from a variety of subscription plans."
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