"Voice Phishing Cash Collector" Caught Turns Out to Be Supporting Actor... Sentenced to Prison

Supporting Actor Involved in Voice Phishing Collection Sentenced to 3 Years and 6 Months in Prison

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] A supporting actor was sentenced to prison in the first trial for acting as a cash collector in a voice phishing (telephone financial fraud) scheme.

According to the legal community on the 22nd, the Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 27 (Presiding Judge Kim Seon-il) sentenced Choi Mo (49), who was indicted on charges including aiding fraud, to 3 years and 6 months in prison. The court pointed out, "The defendant played an essential role as a cash collector in the voice phishing scheme, facilitating the crime," and "The victims suffered significant damage, and no restitution has been made."

Choi was arrested and indicted on charges of approaching victims who were deceived by voice phishing gangs promising low-interest refinancing loans multiple times in May last year and receiving cash from them. He is also charged with fraud for impersonating a financial institution official during this process. It was revealed that he embezzled a total of about 147 million won in various locations such as Yeongdeungpo-gu, Jongno-gu, and Songpa-gu in Seoul over the course of May last year using this method.

Voice phishing is a crime method composed of several stages, including the 'mastermind' who plans and directs the overall crime, the 'lure' who deceives and intimidates victims, and the 'cash collector' who receives money from victims. Choi participated in the crime as the cash collector within the organization, receiving a commission of 0.8% of the withdrawn amount.

During the trial, Choi claimed, "I did not know that I was part of a voice phishing crime." He argued that he believed he was hired as a trainee at a debt collection company after responding to an advertisement in a lifestyle information magazine. The court judged, "It seems that he at least foreseeably suspected it was a voice phishing crime," noting that Choi collected cash without properly verifying the debtor's identity or repayment amount, indicating he recognized it was not a legitimate debt collection activity.

Choi's side also argued, "Although he voluntarily reported the crime, the detective encouraged him to continue acting as a collector under the pretext of gathering evidence." They claimed that since he participated in the crime as part of a joint investigation, it should be considered a mitigating circumstance. However, it was confirmed that the detective, who belonged to the Women and Youth Division, only told Choi, "If you secure victim information, I will connect you to the cyber investigation team," and did not encourage the crime.

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