Warning issued over fake online payment pages stealing card details in South Korea

Consumers are urged to exercise caution when shopping online, as phishing scams are increasingly using fake payment pages to steal sensitive information. The Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) has issued a 'caution' consumer alert after receiving information from the Financial Security Institute about recent instances of card information theft from vulnerable online shopping sites.

These fraudulent operations insert fake payment pages, designed to mimic legitimate ones, into the checkout process. They deceive shoppers into entering their full card number, expiration date, CVV code, complete card password, and resident registration number. After the victim enters this information, a 'payment error' message appears, redirecting the user to the actual payment page. The transaction then completes normally, making it difficult for the consumer to realize they have been compromised.

As of last month, approximately 5,707 cases of stolen card information have been identified. Card companies are currently contacting affected customers to reissue cards and block fraudulent transactions. The FSS strongly advises consumers to immediately halt any transaction if prompted to enter their full four-digit card password or resident registration number.

If card information theft is suspected, consumers should contact their card company to suspend card usage and reissue the card. It is also recommended to change passwords and PINs used on other sites if they are the same. Victims of unauthorized charges should report the incident to the police and request payment suspension, then apply for compensation from the card company with a confirmation of the incident.