Gyeongnam Police Agency Arrests 13 Voice Phishing Suspects, Detains 9

Caller ID Spoofing, Changing 070 Numbers to 010

The Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency arrested 13 managers of caller ID spoofing relay devices used in phone financial fraud crimes such as voice phishing from January to May, detaining 9 of them.

According to the provincial police agency on the 13th, caller ID spoofing relay devices refer to communication devices that change international phone numbers like 070 or internet phone numbers into mobile phone numbers starting with 010.

The arrested individuals approached people on social networking services (SNS) and job search sites, promising "high pay" and "high income," recruiting managers for the relay devices, and operated the devices after installation.

Caller ID spoofing relay device seized by the police. [Photo by Gyeongnam Police Agency]

Through this crackdown, the provincial police agency apprehended relay device managers in the Gyeongnam, Daegu, and Jeolla regions, seizing 11 fixed relay devices, 182 mobile relay devices, and 1,147 burner SIM cards.

The exact number of victims and the amount of damage will be revealed through investigation.

The phone financial fraud organization that supplied the relay devices is being continuously tracked through digital forensic investigations of the relay devices and SIM cards.

The agency plans to expand investigations into caller ID spoofing relay device offenders to prevent further damage.

The police explained that recently, phone financial fraud organizations have evolved their methods to avoid intensive police crackdowns by hiding relay devices in hard-to-find locations and carrying mobile batteries and relay devices on vehicles and motorcycles.

A representative from the provincial police agency said, "Phone financial fraud crimes such as voice phishing target unspecified citizens, so anyone can become a victim," adding, "Victims suffer not only financial losses but also severe mental distress due to self-blame."

They continued, "To prevent damage, you should always be suspicious of unknown phone numbers," urging caution.

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