Increase in Online Usage Leads to Surge in Non-Face-to-Face Cybercrime Victims Such as Body Cam Phishing and Romance Scams

Jeonnam Provincial Police Agency building exterior

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Chunsu] Recently, due to the spread of COVID-19, face-to-face activities in daily life have decreased, and the usage time of online media such as the internet has increased.

The Jeonnam Provincial Police Agency announced on the 31st that non-face-to-face cybercrimes are increasing, and special caution is needed to avoid becoming a victim of such crimes.

In particular, crimes such as "Mokcam Phishing," "Romance Scam," and "Email Trade Fraud" are thriving in the non-face-to-face online environment, taking advantage of the untact lifestyle, and mainly occur targeting people who frequently use SNS or email.

"Mokcam Phishing" involves approaching the victim through chat apps, inducing them to perform obscene acts via video calls while recording the acts, and during this process, prompting the installation of malicious code.

Afterward, using the malicious code, the perpetrator steals information such as the address book from the victim's mobile phone and threatens to send the recorded video to the victim's family or acquaintances to extort money.

"Romance Scam" mainly involves approaching victims through overseas SNS or messengers, impersonating US military, UN forces, or intelligence agency personnel deployed overseas, and building a relationship with the victim over a certain period.

Then, the scammer claims to be transferring slush funds, war funds, or jewels to Korea and demands storage fees, transportation fees, and commissions, receiving money via foreign bank accounts to defraud the victim.

"Email Trade Fraud" is a crime where hackers break into the email accounts used by companies engaged in international trade with foreign companies, continuously monitor the emails exchanged between the two companies, and at the time of payment, use forged emails similar to the counterpart's email to intercept trade payments.

The police advised that to avoid becoming a victim of Mokcam Phishing or Romance Scam, one should not respond to conversations initiated by strangers and never open files or internet URLs sent by them.

Additionally, to prevent email trade fraud, it is emphasized to frequently change passwords for work emails, always confirm the account number and amount with the counterpart's representative by phone before transferring trade payments, never open suspicious email attachments or internet URLs, and regularly scan computers for viruses using antivirus programs.

A Jeonnam police official stated, "To prevent crimes such as Mokcam Phishing, Romance Scam, and Email Trade Fraud, we will strengthen promotional activities for cybercrime prevention education and do our best to apprehend criminals and restore victims' losses."

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