KT Lowers Gift Certificate Small Payment Limit from 1 Million Won to 100,000 Won (Comprehensive)

Aftermath of Unauthorized Payments in Gwangmyeong and Geumcheon
Enhanced Detection in Cooperation with PG Companies
Individual Consultation Support for Subscribers with Suspicious Transactions

KT has temporarily lowered the mobile phone payment limit for gift certificate sales from 1 million won to 100,000 won. This measure was taken in response to a series of unauthorized small payment incidents in Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi Province, and Geumcheon District, Seoul.

On September 6, KT announced on its website that it had confirmed cases where small payments were made on the mobile phones of some users in the affected areas without their consent. The company stated that, in cooperation with mobile payment agencies (PG companies), it has reduced the payment limit and strengthened the detection of abnormal payment attempts.

Additionally, KT said it will individually contact and provide consultation to subscribers in the affected regions who have used small payment services during the relevant period if any suspicious transactions are detected. KT stated, "We apologize for causing concern to our customers," and added, "We will cooperate with investigative authorities to quickly determine the cause and devise measures to prevent recurrence."

Currently, the Cyber Investigation Unit of the Southern Gyeonggi Provincial Police Agency is investigating the unauthorized small payment cases that occurred in the Gwangmyeong and Geumcheon areas. Victims in Gwangmyeong reported that, between August 27 and August 31, tens of thousands of won were withdrawn mainly during early morning hours under the pretense of purchasing mobile gift certificates or recharging transportation cards. As of September 5, 14 cases have been reported in Geumcheon District.

The victims have in common that they reside in Sosa and Haan-dong in Gwangmyeong and in Geumcheon District, Seoul, but the mobile phone activation agencies they used are different. Since there is no evidence of malicious app installation or clicking on smishing links, investigative and security authorities are considering various possibilities.