South Korea's credit finance association uncovered 7,855 illegal online loan advertisements from roughly 280 suspected illegal lenders over just two months — a 48% jump from 5,292 the year before — highlighting how fast online ad fraud is spreading across the same channels legitimate brands use.
The flagged ads spread mainly through portals, social media, and YouTube, with video-format ads — many produced using AI video generation tools — growing especially fast. What used to be simple text or image ads has shifted to easily produced and replicated video content, expanding both the speed and reach of fraudulent ads.
Most of the ads impersonated official low-income lending programs — using terms like "government-supported" or referencing legitimate schemes such as Haetsal Loan — or displayed falsified registration information to lure consumers, funneling them toward high-interest loans instead. The association has forwarded flagged ads and phone numbers to relevant authorities for blocking and suspension.
This case shows that AI content generation tools are being weaponized for fraud just as fast as they're adopted for marketing — and the fraud runs in the exact same social and video channels where legitimate brands reach customers. When impersonators using terms like "government-supported" flood the same space, it becomes harder for consumers to distinguish real from fake, which erodes trust even in legitimate advertisers.
Advertisers should invest more deliberately in trust signals — verified channels, authentication badges, and consistent brand presentation — that make it easy for a consumer to confirm they're dealing with the real brand. Monitoring for impersonation and maintaining an active reporting process, along with transparent, accurate registration disclosure, are becoming essential parts of digital ad risk management.
For guidance on protecting brand trust in a crowded digital ad landscape, explore Best Partner's services.
Korea's credit finance association found 7,855 illegal loan ads from about 280 suspected operators over two months — a 48% increase from 5,292 flagged the prior year.
Most flagged ads used terms like 'government-supported' or referenced real low-income lending programs, or displayed falsified registration details, to make illegal high-interest loans appear legitimate.
Invest in trust signals such as verified channels, authentication badges, and consistent brand presentation, and maintain active monitoring and reporting processes so consumers can tell real ads from impersonators.
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