Preventing Voice Phishing Texts in Advance... Introducing RCS Messaging

Government Establishes Integrated Reporting System and Develops Blocking Technology

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Hong Nam-ki is delivering opening remarks at the Emergency Economic Central Countermeasures Headquarters meeting held on the 2nd at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung] The government is introducing a new form of next-generation messaging service instead of text messages to prevent voice phishing damage caused by impersonation of financial institutions. In addition, the scattered reporting systems by ministries will be integrated into a unified voice phishing reporting system, and in the mid to long term, a 'voice phishing vaccine' technology will be developed to fundamentally block voice phishing.

On the 2nd, the Ministry of Economy and Finance held an emergency economic central countermeasures headquarters meeting chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Hong Nam-ki and announced these voice phishing prevention measures.

The government will first review the immediate introduction of a corporate RCS messaging service that can prevent messages impersonating financial institutions or public institutions. RCS messages are a new standard text format adopted by the International Mobile Telecommunications Operators Association, which displays the sender's phone number along with the related brand and profile, thereby increasing the reliability of the message.

Furthermore, since the message body does not directly include internet links but supports link connection through buttons, safety is also enhanced. Currently, financial institutions or public institutions provide information or advertisements through mobile text messages containing internet links in the message body, but if users receive impersonation messages abusing this and inadvertently click the link, there is a risk of exposure to voice phishing damage. There is also the problem that it is difficult to distinguish whether a general text message is an actual service notification or a voice phishing message impersonating an institution. The government plans to promote the introduction of RCS centered on financial institutions and public institutions from this month and start consultations with related ministries to resolve difficulties such as those faced by mobile phone manufacturers.

Reporting convenience will also be improved. The government will build a unified voice phishing reporting system that allows simultaneous reporting to related agencies such as the National Police Agency, the Financial Supervisory Service, and the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA). It aims to pilot operate a cyber fraud unified reporting site in the first half of next year and consider establishing a unified incident number in the mid to long term.

Currently, voice phishing fraud reports are handled by the National Police Agency, spam message reports by the Ministry of Science and ICT, and damage refund applications by the Financial Supervisory Service, but the government plans to strengthen victim support by integrating these scattered reporting channels into one. In addition, the system will be revised so that phone numbers that sent voice phishing calls or smishing messages can also be included in the phone number suspension targets.

In the mid to long term, the government plans to develop related technologies for the preemptive prevention of voice phishing. The idea is to develop a 'voice phishing vaccine' that first blocks suspicious voice phishing calls or malicious applications through the phone's own functions and then blocks them a second time through additional application installation.

In this process, data will be disclosed so that private companies can autonomously develop voice phishing prevention programs, and the purchase of private development applications will also be promoted.

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