YouTube under fire as overseas shopping scam ads surge

Allegations of overseas shopping scam ads proliferating on YouTube have caught the attention of Seoul officials. The Seoul Electronic Commerce Center and Korea Consumer Agency have received a significant increase in consumer complaints related to these ads, with 359 complaints filed in the first half of 2026 alone. This represents a staggering 4.6 times more complaints than were recorded in January of the same year.

The majority of these complaints, comprising 24%, revolve around misleading or exaggerated advertising, as well as sellers' reluctance to provide refunds or accept cancellation requests. Another 21.7% of cases involve sellers becoming unreachable, while delivery issues made up 13.4% of the complaints, and excessive return charges accounted for 11.4%.

One specific instance cited by Seoul officials involved a consumer who, after watching a YouTube advertisement for fleece-lined winter pants, received a much lighter pair suitable for summer. Clothing and fashion goods were the most frequently complained-about category, making up 63.2% of the total complaints. Furniture, household, and kitchen goods accounted for 11.1%, while health and hygiene products followed with 10.6%.