40% of Phishing Occurs During Seollal and Chuseok Holidays... Beware of Financial Fraud Crimes

Smishing Crimes Concentrated in January, February, and September Over the Past 3 Years
50.4% Occurred During Holiday Periods Last Year
94.7% of Delivery Scams Impersonate Gift Shipments
"Never Click on Unknown Apps or Links"

Smishing Reports (Received) and Blocking Status During the Holiday Period (Unit: Cases)

[Asia Economy Reporter Song Seung-seop] It has been found that 42.2% of all smishing crimes that occurred over the past three years took place during holiday periods. The Financial Supervisory Service and related government agencies have urged special caution as messenger phishing increases around the Chuseok holiday.

According to the Financial Supervisory Service on the 10th, the total number of smishing reports (received) and blocks from 2019 to last year was 1,517,705 cases. Among these, 639,809 cases were concentrated in January, February, and September, months with holidays such as Seollal and Chuseok. Last year, out of 202,276 cases, 102,097 cases (50.4%) occurred during these months.

Most smishing cases (94.7%) involved impersonation of delivery services, exploiting the increase in gift deliveries during holiday periods. Methods impersonating public institutions accounted for 4.3%. These crimes disguised themselves as notifications related to COVID-19 vaccine reservations, regular health checkup appointments, or traffic violation fine inquiries, which are closely related to citizens' daily lives. New types of smishing crimes have also appeared, which steal personal financial information through impersonation text messages or induce installation of malicious applications (apps).

Related agencies have established their own countermeasures. The Financial Services Commission and the Financial Supervisory Service are focusing on voice phishing prevention campaigns in cooperation with the financial sector to prevent victims from falling for messages disguised as delivery confirmations or holiday greetings from parents, children, or relatives. The Ministry of Science and ICT and the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA) operate a continuous monitoring system and promptly take action by analyzing reported and received text scam information. The Korea Communications Commission, in cooperation with the three mobile carriers (SKT, KT, LGU+) and the Korea Association for ICT Promotion (KAIT), sequentially sends out 'Smishing Text Warning' messages. The National Police Agency provides prevention guidelines and damage alerts through its website and the mobile app 'CyberCop.'

If contacted by phone impersonating judicial authorities such as prosecutors or police, it is important not to provide personal information. The prosecution, police, and Financial Supervisory Service never send official documents or request personal information via text messages or messengers under any circumstances. They also do not collect cash transfers or any personal financial transaction information. Links included in text messages or unknown apps should not be installed.

If a family member or acquaintance is said to have been in an accident or kidnapped, or if a call is made to an acquaintance due to a mobile phone malfunction, verifying the facts should come first. Providing information under pressure can lead to greater damage later. If contacted by someone pretending to be a financial company offering various low-interest loans, do not call back or click on links; it is advisable to visit the financial institution directly.

If damage occurs, immediately call the customer center of the relevant financial company, the police (112), or the Financial Supervisory Service (132) to request account payment suspension. Spam texts can also be reported through KISA.

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