Beware of Paid Service Subscriptions Posing as Livelihood Recovery Subsidy
Many cases have been discovered where blog posts disguised as information and application sources for the Livelihood Recovery Subsidy are leading users to subscribe to paid services, prompting authorities to issue a warning.
On the 4th, the Korea Communications Commission announced that when searching for 'Livelihood Recovery Subsidy' in the search bars of major portal sites like Naver, blog posts disguised with related titles are appearing at the top.
These blog posts are published under titles such as 'Immediate Guidance on Livelihood Recovery Subsidy' and 'Guide to National Livelihood Recovery Subsidy'. When users click on the 'Apply Now' link in these posts, they are redirected to a paid service subscription page that is completely unrelated to the actual subsidy.
Particularly, this process requires users to input their phone number and verification code, which can easily mislead them into thinking it is the identity verification procedure for applying for the Livelihood Recovery Subsidy.
High Potential for Violations of the Telecommunications Business Act
The Korea Communications Commission considers these deceptive advertising practices to be acts where important details about the terms and conditions of the service are falsely or exaggeratedly explained to recruit users, indicating a very high likelihood of violating the prohibitions under the Enforcement Decree of the Telecommunications Business Act. This is recognized as a serious issue that can deceive consumers and lead to economic harm.
In response, the Korea Communications Commission has immediately demanded that the companies posting such advertisements halt their activities, and stated that if this behavior continues, they plan to initiate fact-finding investigations.
Consumers are advised to verify information related to public support programs like the Livelihood Recovery Subsidy through official government websites. They should also be cautious of suspicious links or requests for verification.
Image Source: Example of user inducement routes for services posing as 'Livelihood Recovery Subsidy'. / Photo provided by the Korea Communications Commission, supplementary photo for understanding the article / gettyimagesbank
