Possible Surge in Voice Phishing After Seol... Police Urge Public Vigilance

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] The police have urged the public to stay vigilant as attempts at phone financial fraud (voice phishing) have increased following the Lunar New Year holiday.

On the 13th, the National Investigation Headquarters of the Korean National Police Agency stated, "Criminals are expected to begin their activities in earnest after resting during the Lunar New Year holiday," and requested, "Please warn family, relatives, and loved ones to be cautious of voice phishing." According to the National Investigation Headquarters, the number of voice phishing cases last year was 3,187 in January, decreased to 2,417 in February during the Lunar New Year, but surged to 4,017 in March. The police expect this trend to continue this year as well.

The police emphasized that recently, crimes impersonating government agencies such as the prosecution, police, and Financial Supervisory Service have been increasing again. Since the perpetrators use already stolen personal information to know exactly where the call recipient works and who they are, they use an intimidating tone, which psychologically intimidates victims and makes them more susceptible to deception.

Additionally, the police explained that tactics such as sending "bait messages" promising to switch to loans with lower interest rates to induce phone calls are still prevalent. The police advised, "Basically, be suspicious of loan-related text messages. If you need a loan, do not call the number in the message; instead, contact the official number of a legitimate company directly. If unsure, consult the Financial Services Commission or the Financial Supervisory Service." They also warned that scams impersonating children, claiming "my phone is broken," and asking to send messages from another number to steal personal and financial information such as ID cards, credit cards, account numbers, and passwords remain common and require caution.

According to the National Investigation Headquarters' statistical analysis for January this year, there were 2,044 cases causing 51.4 billion KRW in damages, which is a decrease compared to December last year (2,336 cases, 57.3 billion KRW) and the same period last year (3,187 cases, 69.7 billion KRW). However, since fraudsters continue to seek loopholes to attempt crimes, the police reiterated the importance of not letting down one’s guard. The National Investigation Headquarters stated, "We will do our best in prevention and investigation until voice phishing is eradicated," and urged, "Since prevention is the most important, please take just three minutes to tell your loved ones that voice phishing cases surge after the Lunar New Year holiday."

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