Receive KakaoTalk Notification Messages... How to Avoid 국민지원금 Smishing Scams

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Nahum] As concerns grow over the increase in smishing messages impersonating card companies or disguising as information about the National Support Fund related to disaster relief fund applications and payments, the delivery of information from public and financial institutions via KakaoTalk is expanding as a measure to prevent damage.

According to Kakao on the 3rd, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety has introduced the KakaoTalk National Secretary National Support Fund notification service, and card companies are also guiding the application methods for the National Support Fund through KakaoTalk AlimTalk notifications. This is because, due to the nature of text messages, the sender is displayed as a number, making it impossible to guarantee the reliability of where the message was sent from.

In the case of AlimTalk, which delivers informational messages via KakaoTalk, a primary verification process of the sender is conducted, and the sender is clearly indicated in the profile, allowing users to trust the information more safely.

In particular, by attaching the AlimTalk verification mark, which distinguishes it from regular KakaoTalk messages, users can immediately verify the authenticity of the message.

In the case of text messages, calling the sender's number to verify the sender may lead to voice phishing, but KakaoTalk poses no risk of voice phishing through direct connection with the sender.

If someone who is not registered as a friend on KakaoTalk sends a regular message instead of an AlimTalk notification, users should carefully check the 'Globe Signal' and 'Talk Siren' indicators provided by KakaoTalk.

The Globe Signal is a feature introduced to prevent phishing by overseas number subscribers; when a non-friend conversation partner is recognized as an overseas number subscriber, a globe profile image with an orange background is shown so that users can clearly recognize this.

The Talk Siren was introduced to prevent phishing damage based on domestic numbers; when a non-friend attempts to start a conversation, the other party's profile image is shown with an orange warning image, and upon entering the chat room, a warning popup and a caution notice about monetary requests are displayed at the top of the chat window.

A Kakao official stated, "KakaoTalk has established a strengthened safety net by applying technologies such as Globe Signal and Talk Siren to general accounts to provide warning alerts to users to prevent phishing damage. Since information from public and financial institutions is delivered through verified messages such as AlimTalk based on KakaoTalk channels, users can safely check the information."

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