[Reporter’s Notebook] A Society Where Voice Phishing Victims Hide

Last August, Ms. A, a woman in her 30s who was about to get married, was puzzled when the police came to her house. There was no reason for the police to come looking for her. In fact, Ms. A's cellphone had been infected with a malicious application (app) and remotely hijacked.

This was confirmed during the police investigation, but Ms. A herself was unaware of it. She was about to withdraw 30 million won in cash, which was her wedding preparation fund, to hand over. At first, she did not believe the police explanation that she had been exposed to a crime, but after involving her family, she was finally persuaded.

Just by clicking on a single URL link, the situation became such that when she called someone or reported to the police, the phishing scammer would answer the phone. Voice phishing, which has evolved in such a sophisticated way, comes to everyone without exception. According to research by the Korea Consumer Agency, there is no variable that distinguishes groups with and without experience of voice phishing damage. No significant differences were found in variables such as financial fraud education, gender, financial characteristics, or educational background.

Having a high level of education or excellent knowledge does not exempt one from voice phishing. This is because voice phishing crimes are becoming increasingly organized and specialized. The old-fashioned "anyone will do" method is a thing of the past. Scenarios are refined according to social and economic situations, and even personalized scenarios are set for individuals.

Nevertheless, when voice phishing crimes occur, it is common to blame the victim's carelessness. All the voice phishing victims interviewed during the investigation blamed themselves, saying, "It's my fault for falling for it." One victim said, "I couldn't tell anyone, and now I feel anxious even when the phone rings," and confessed, "It's been about a year, but I am still taking antidepressants." There are even tragic cases where victims have contemplated suicide.

"If you have not been a victim of voice phishing, it does not mean you have not been deceived; it just means your turn has not come yet."

It is worth reflecting on what the head of the Police Agency's Phishing Crime Investigation Division said. It means a shift in perception about voice phishing is necessary. Since 2006, when cases related to voice phishing damage became known, numerous policies have been introduced, but most have focused on ‘not falling victim to phishing.’

Now, we need to move toward a two-track approach of both preventing phishing crimes in advance and providing relief to victims. Financial recovery and psychological support measures are needed to help victims. The problem is that there are few programs to help overcome psychological trauma. The current social safety net regarding voice phishing is thus inadequate.

For victims to overcome voice phishing trauma and return to daily life, comprehensive measures that pay attention to psychological treatment must follow.

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