Eight Members of China-Based Voice Phishing Group Arrested Using Spy App Developed by North Korean Hackers

Estimated Damage of 2 Billion KRW
Personal Information Obtained Through North Korean Hackers

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-ju] Intelligence authorities, who obtained and tracked domestic hacking intelligence by North Korean hackers, have confirmed that they arrested members of an organization that committed telephone financial fraud (voice phishing) using this information.

According to intelligence authorities and the police on the 16th, the National Intelligence Service and the Security Investigation Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency arrested eight voice phishing organization members who operated from China targeting South Korea, both locally and in China. All of the arrested individuals were investigated to be South Korean nationals.

It is reported that they committed voice phishing crimes by receiving personal information obtained by North Korean hackers hacking domestic loan companies. The police have identified about 200 victims so far, with damages amounting to approximately 2 billion KRW.

In particular, there is evidence that they paid a portion of their profits to the North Korean hackers as a usage fee for the hacking program. It is known that they induced victims to install the 'SpyApp' developed by the North Korean hackers on their smartphones and obtained all important information such as contacts stored on those phones.

Four of them, who were staying in Tianjin, China, were arrested in July, and the remaining four were hiding scattered across South Korea and were arrested this year. Intelligence authorities are reported to have identified the identity of the North Korean hacker associated with them. They have also identified the identity of a South Korean who paid the usage fee to this hacker and oversaw multiple voice phishing organizations in China, focusing investigative efforts on this individual.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.