"Hope Welfare Fund Recipient Selection Text, Do Not Click" Seoul City Produces Voice Phishing Prevention Video

3-Minute Video on Types of Fraud Techniques and How to Respond Distributed Free to Citizens

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Seoul City announced on the 24th that it will produce and distribute a ‘Voice Phishing Prevention Video’ for citizens to combat voice phishing, which has become increasingly sophisticated and evolving day by day.

Over the past five years, the number of voice phishing cases reported to the National Police Agency increased by about 86%, from 17,040 cases in 2016 to 31,681 cases last year, and the damage amount rose 4.7 times from 146.8 billion KRW in 2016 to 700 billion KRW last year. Although the number of cases decreased compared to 2018 and 2019, the total damage amount increased last year. This means the damage per single case has increased.

Accordingly, Seoul City produced a 3-minute video focusing on three recent increasing cases: impersonation of children, selection of low-interest loan recipients related to COVID-19, and low-interest refinancing loan scams, along with ways to respond to such damages.

The video also includes behavioral guidelines for preventing voice phishing. It emphasizes that when asked for money, one should verify again by phone, and always refuse money requests made under the pretext of improving credit scores or lowering interest rates. It also advises not to click on apps or URLs of unclear origin. Additionally, it includes the so-called four commandments for damage prevention, such as confirming with the card company if a payment message is received for a card that was not used, rather than the company itself.

This prevention video has been available for free since the 23rd on the Seoul City website, the Seoul City No More Tears website, and Seoul City’s official YouTube channel. If voice phishing is suspected or if damage has occurred, immediate reporting to the Financial Supervisory Service (1332), National Police Agency (112), Korea Internet & Security Agency (118), and requesting payment suspension from the relevant financial institution is recommended.

Seo Byung-chul, Seoul City’s Fair Economy Officer, said, “To avoid voice phishing damage, it is best not to install apps or click URLs of unclear origin, and to reject messages and calls from the police, prosecutors, National Tax Service, or Financial Supervisory Service at first. If damage is suspected, immediate reporting to the relevant agencies is necessary. Above all, it is a priority to prevent damage by familiarizing oneself with the prevention materials distributed by Seoul City.”

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