Spot shared logins and subscription abuse

Account sharing happens when multiple people use the same set of credentials to access a service that is priced or licensed per user, device or household. In more severe cases, credentials are resold or “rented out” at scale, allowing many unauthorized users to piggyback on a single paid subscription or license.

Benign sharing might involve light usage between close family members or occasional multi-device access by a single user, depending on the terms of service. Abusive behaviour includes systematic sharing outside allowed policies, credential reselling, or using one account to support entire organisations or communities, significantly undermining revenue and fair-use limits.

Typical red flags include logins from multiple locations within short timeframes, many devices or browsers tied to a single account, and unusual patterns such as very high concurrent usage or access from shared corporate networks on a consumer plan.

Fraudsters may buy discounted subscriptions or take advantage of promotions, then resell access through social media, forums or dedicated “account shops.” In parallel, stolen credentials from data breaches can be tested via credential stuffing tools, with successful logins resold or bundled into “premium accounts” shared by many unauthorized users.