Called 112, but a voice phishing gang member answered... Busan Police arrest group managing 'relay device'

Three Arrested for Managing Phone Number Manipulation Relay Devices and Collecting Cash

Beware of Low-Interest Loan Ads and Texts; Loans Should Be Consulted In-Person

Be Cautious of High-Paying Part-Time Jobs Involving Relay Device Managemen

Phone number manipulation relay device seized by the police. [Image source=Busan Police Agency]

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Kim Yong-woo] “I called 112 because I was suspicious, and a voice phishing gang member answered!”

An advanced intelligent voice phishing gang that steals all personal information through malicious apps and even uses phone “interception” tactics has been caught.

The Busan Gijang Police Station (Chief Kim Hyung-cheol) arrested three suspects who defrauded approximately 264 million KRW over 16 cases using a voice phishing scheme promising low-interest refinancing loans.

Among them, two suspects, domestic relay manager Mr. A (male, 30s) and cash collector Mr. B (male, 30s), were detained, and the China-based manager Mr. C (male) was placed on an Interpol wanted list.

According to the police, victim Mr. D, who already had a loan from a savings bank, received loan-related messages from another financial institution and installed the institution’s app during a phone consultation, as requested for the loan process.

Later, a representative from the savings bank told him that if he did not repay the existing loan, he could not get a loan from the other financial institution, so he handed over money under the pretext of repaying the loan.

Cash collector Mr. B, who came to collect the money, found the job by seeing a high-paying part-time job advertisement on SNS but was arrested after being confirmed as an accomplice in the voice phishing gang.

During the process of arresting the cash collector, police obtained tracking clues and arrested and detained relay manager Mr. A, who operated relay devices at three motels in Gyeongbuk between February and April, while the gang leader in China was placed on Interpol’s wanted list.

Recently, voice phishing gangs have evolved boldly, installing malicious apps that steal personal information from victims’ phones without their knowledge or even transfer money from their accounts.

The method involves attracting interest through text or phone ads promising low-interest loans, then sending URLs or installation files via KakaoTalk or text messages to induce victims to install malicious apps that look exactly like financial institution apps.

Through the installed app, victims are prompted to enter personal information such as their name and resident registration number.

Notably, this malicious app has a call interception function, so even if victims try to report to 112 or verify by calling the financial institution, they are connected to the voice phishing gang, making it difficult for victims to confirm the fraud.

As it has become difficult to obtain bank accounts used for crimes, recruiting relay device managers who modify overseas phone numbers to domestic numbers by enticing with high-paying part-time jobs such as cash collectors has become frequent.

High-paying part-time job ads recruiting cash collectors posted by voice phishing gangs on SNS, job sites, and local information papers advertise the work as simple tasks assisting financial institutions with debt collection, but in reality, the cash collectors receive and deliver money defrauded from victims deceived by the gang leader.

They also recruit managers under the pretext of paying high wages for remote work such as internet monitoring and server management, installing phone number modification relay devices at residences or lodging facilities to convert internet or foreign phone numbers into domestic numbers (010) for criminal use.

The police warned that those who are deceived by high-paying part-time job ads and apply may unknowingly become accomplices in voice phishing crimes, so special caution is necessary.

Most suspects arrested as cash collectors initially claim they did not know they were involved in voice phishing, but additional investigations often confirm evidence that they knowingly performed cash collection tasks, leading to detention.

A police official said, “To avoid being involved in voice phishing crimes, job seekers should visit the company in person and carefully verify what kind of work is involved.”

Busan police are cooperating with the Financial Supervisory Service and financial institutions to ensure that when large amounts are withdrawn at bank counters, the usage is verified, and when large deposits are made at ATMs, they are suspected as remittance agents and reported promptly to the police.

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