Daegum Orders Strong Response to Voice Phishing Crimes... Dedicated Prosecutors Assigned at Prosecutors' Offices Nationwide

Application of Crime Organization Charges
Mastermind Faces Maximum Court Sentence... Even Simple Participants Like Withdrawal Agents to Receive Heavy Sentences

Seoul Seocho-dong Supreme Prosecutors' Office.

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin, Legal Affairs Specialist] The Supreme Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Kim Oh-soo) instructed on the 8th that each prosecution office designate dedicated prosecutors to strongly respond to voice phishing crimes, which occur more than 30,000 times annually.

In addition to the five prosecution offices with strong dedicated departments such as Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, Incheon, Busan, Gwangju, and Daegu District Prosecutors' Offices, the Supreme Prosecutors' Office ordered all prosecution offices nationwide to appoint dedicated prosecutors for voice phishing crimes and to strengthen response capabilities by applying charges such as criminal organization offenses against voice phishing groups.

In particular, it was instructed to thoroughly investigate and severely punish organizations impersonating investigators or other law enforcement personnel, and to actively investigate even simple participants such as cash collectors or withdrawal agents.

Furthermore, for voice phishing crimes, regardless of the amount detected, the prosecution is to seek the maximum legal penalty against the organization's ringleaders and impose heavy sentences even on simple participants.

The Supreme Prosecutors' Office stated that the reported voice phishing crime victims exceed 30,000 cases annually, with damage amounts reaching several hundred billion won, exposing a large number of unspecified citizens to voice phishing crimes. The scale of damage reached about 700 billion won last year, marking an all-time high and showing a sharp increase, indicating a serious situation.

According to statistics from the National Police Agency, more than 30,000 voice phishing crimes have occurred annually from 2018 to last year, with damage amounts rapidly increasing from 404 billion won in 2018, 639.8 billion won in 2019, to 700 billion won in 2020.

The Supreme Prosecutors' Office stated, "The Anti-Corruption and Strong Crime Division (Chief Moon Hong-seong) has formed an internal task force (TF) to establish countermeasures to eradicate voice phishing crimes and will do its utmost to root out voice phishing crimes through cooperation with related agencies such as the police and financial authorities."

The Supreme Prosecutors' Office also reported that crimes are increasingly organized with large-scale corporate-type organizations of over 100 members being detected, and that crime methods are becoming more sophisticated, including document forgery and distribution of malicious programs, spreading voice phishing damage indiscriminately across ages and professions, even affecting professionals.

Meanwhile, the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office arrested and indicted voice phishing group members last September who impersonated prosecution office staff and deceived four victims by saying, "Your account is involved in a crime, so entrust the money in your account to an employee," embezzling about 2.8 billion won.

Also, the Busan District Prosecutors' Office arrested and indicted voice phishing group members in April this year who impersonated prosecutors or investigators and deceived 20 victims by saying, "Your account was used in a crime, so you must undergo an investigation. To prove your innocence, withdraw cash and store it at a designated location," embezzling about 400 million won. The prosecution reported that one victim, threatened by these criminals, took their own life.

Additionally, the Busan District Prosecutors' Office arrested and indicted a cash collector last April who, knowing it was a voice phishing crime, conspired with voice phishing group members and actively impersonated financial institution staff to receive and embezzle 110 million won from victims.

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