"Phone Broken, Please Send Money..." Messenger Phishing Warning Feature Introduced in KakaoTalk

Introducing 'Toksiren' to Prevent KakaoTalk Messenger Phishing
Profile Turns Orange, Popup Alerts Warn Against Monetary Requests

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] "Mom, my phone is broken. Please send me the card number here."

KakaoTalk has introduced a feature that warns users to suspect messenger phishing when a domestic number subscriber who is not a friend contacts them. It guides users to be cautious about money requests through profile pictures and pop-up windows.

On the 17th, Kakao introduced the 'Talk Siren' feature in KakaoTalk to prevent messenger phishing that impersonates acquaintances to demand money.

Since 2012, Kakao has displayed flag images on the profiles of overseas number subscribers. In 2019, it applied the 'Globe Signal,' which shows an orange background globe profile image when a chat partner who is not registered as a friend is recognized as an overseas number subscriber.

Talk Siren expands the target to include domestic numbers to proactively prevent messenger phishing crimes impersonating acquaintances. When a chat partner who is not registered as a friend contacts a user on KakaoTalk, a pop-up window appears at the time of entering the chat room, and a caution notice about money requests is displayed at the top of the chat window after entry.

If the chat partner is a domestic number subscriber, an orange warning profile image is shown to help users recognize the possibility of impersonation. If the chat partner is an overseas number subscriber, the existing Globe Signal is applied, displaying an orange globe profile image.

However, if the domestic number subscriber has been using KakaoTalk for a long time and initiates the conversation, Talk Siren is not shown to the other party. Even users with a short usage period are excluded from exposure based on big data.

Kakao continuously applies damage prevention techniques reflecting the trend of messenger phishing impersonating acquaintances such as family and friends evolving in various forms. Talk Siren plans to add more features in the future to strengthen user protection.

A Kakao official said, "Messenger phishing methods demanding money by impersonating acquaintances such as family and friends among domestic number subscribers, not just overseas numbers, have increased, so we aimed to build a strengthened safety net," adding, "We will continue to strive to protect KakaoTalk users."

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