The mastermind behind a 10.8 billion won voice phishing scam... sentenced to a record-long 35 years in prison

The Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office Voice Phishing Crime Joint Investigation Team (Joint Investigation Team) announced on the 5th that the mastermind of a voice phishing (telephone financial fraud) organization, which operated based in the Philippines and swindled about 10.8 billion KRW from 560 victims, was sentenced to the longest prison term ever of 35 years.

According to the Joint Investigation Team, the Criminal Division 11 of the Seoul Eastern District Court (Chief Judge Kim Byung-chul) sentenced A (37), the mastermind of the voice phishing organization 'Minjunpa', who was forcibly extradited from the Philippines and indicted in custody, to 35 years in prison and ordered the confiscation of 2 billion KRW on the 3rd. B (31), the deputy mastermind who was also tried in custody, was sentenced to 27 years in prison and fined 300 million KRW.

According to the Joint Investigation Team, the previous longest prison term for a voice phishing mastermind was 20 years. The Seoul Eastern District Court sentenced a mastermind involved in a voice phishing case with damages of 2.6 billion KRW this year to 20 years, and the Ansan Branch of the Suwon District Court sentenced a mastermind involved in a case with damages of 5.4 billion KRW in 2016 to 20 years.

The Joint Investigation Team stated, "By applying the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes and following the strengthened prosecution guidelines for voice phishing cases from the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, we strictly punished the case and achieved the longest prison term ever of 35 years for a voice phishing case."

According to the Joint Investigation Team, A and B established an office in Metro Manila, Philippines, in 2017 with the purpose of committing voice phishing fraud and formed Minjunpa, a hierarchical organization.

From December 2017 to December 2021, they, along with about 60 members including call center employees, domestic withdrawal agents, and domestic currency exchange agents, deceived 560 residents in Korea by promising low-interest refinancing loans and swindled about 10.8 billion KRW (charged with organizing and participating in a criminal organization, and fraud under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes). They were also charged with violating the Act on the Regulation of Concealment of Criminal Proceeds by receiving the criminal proceeds of 10.8 billion KRW through so-called 'ghost accounts' during the same period. Prosecutors estimate that the total amount defrauded, including damages from crimes committed previously as team leaders and members of other organizations, is about 16 to 17 billion KRW.

Excluding A and B, 40 members of Minjunpa were arrested, of whom 23 have been convicted. Thirteen are currently on trial, and four are under investigation. The remaining members overseas are being pursued under arrest warrants and are wanted.

A representative of the Joint Investigation Team said, "We will do our best to protect the property of our citizens from voice phishing crimes and ensure that severe punishments commensurate with the crimes are imposed."

Hong Su-jeong, Legal Times Reporter

※This article is based on content supplied by Law Times.

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