I Could Also Become an Accomplice in Voice Phishing... "Beware of Salary and Allowance Mistaken Deposit Transfer Scams"

Part-time Wage Mistakenly Deposited, Request for Account Transfer
Responding to Scammer's Demand May Lead to Being Accused as Voice Phishing Accomplice
Misdeposited Money Must Be Reconfirmed Through Bank Account and Re-sent

So Seong-mo, CEO of Nonghyup Mutual Finance, along with officials from the Financial Supervisory Service, National Police Agency, and Nonghyup employees, are conducting a Voice Phishing Zero Campaign on the 5th at the Seoul Station waiting room. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Min-young] Housewife Lee applied for a writing part-time job in June after seeing a Facebook post, hoping to supplement her household income which had decreased due to the impact of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). After applying, she was contacted and asked to provide her bank account information to receive payment. When Lee provided her account details, 6 million won was deposited into her account, an amount she found suspiciously large for part-time pay. The scammer then claimed it was a mistaken deposit and requested a transfer back, providing an account number. Lee refused to transfer the money because the sender's and receiver's names did not match, and she applied for a payment stop at the bank. However, the next day, the victim reported it as voice phishing, and Lee's account was frozen. After undergoing a police investigation and with the account freeze continuing, Lee filed a complaint with the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission. Nevertheless, she received a notice from the bank stating that she would be barred from financial transactions for 10 years as a person involved in illegal financial transactions.

A new type of financial scam is spreading, where high-paying part-time job offers on popular job sites or Facebook lure applicants, then claim mistaken transfers to the provided account number and demand re-transfer of the funds. Consumer caution is required.

On the 22nd, the Financial Consumers Federation announced that cases of recruiting applicants for high-paying part-time jobs on social media or job websites and involving them in financial scams have been occurring repeatedly, urging consumers to be cautious.

According to the Financial Consumers Federation, responding to online transfer requests from financial scammers means cooperating or participating in withdrawing criminal proceeds, and part-time workers may be held civilly and criminally liable as accomplices in voice phishing. Therefore, such requests must never be complied with.

When checking transaction details in a bankbook or internet banking, the sender's name and sending bank can be identified, but the sender's account number cannot. The scammer exploited this by impersonating the sender and providing an account number while demanding a transfer. Ordinary people, seeing matching names and amounts, may unknowingly participate in fraud by transferring money via internet banking. Therefore, the Consumer Federation explains that if a transfer is requested on the grounds of mistaken payment, the refund must be processed through the bank following prescribed procedures.

Responding to Scammer’s Demands Greatly Increases Risk of Being Accused as Voice Phishing Accomplice

In cases of mistaken transfers, the sender usually applies to the bank for a payment stop and refund of the mistaken amount. The receiving bank contacts the recipient and, with their consent, withdraws the mistaken amount from the recipient’s account and returns it to the sender’s account. If the recipient does not consent, the sender must file a lawsuit for unjust enrichment to recover the funds. If the recipient withdraws and spends the mistakenly transferred money without returning it, they can be prosecuted for embezzlement.

Requests for bankbook or cash (check) card passwords under the pretext of paying part-time wages or salaries, demands to transfer money online from the deposited account, requests to receive and forward cash or transfer money, or demands for delivery of bankbooks or check cards are 100% scams. Complying with these requests can involve you as an accomplice in fraud, lead to arrest as a suspect, and result in criminal charges, fines, and civil liability for the victim’s losses. Therefore, such requests must never be accepted.

Voice phishing organizations lure job seekers by promising high earnings in a short time through work-from-home, simple office tasks, accounting, or delivery jobs, often recruiting via KakaoTalk or Telegram without resume submission or interviews. Work instructions are also given through KakaoTalk or Telegram.

Kang Hyung-gu, Secretary General of the Financial Consumers Federation, advised, “Scammers exploit economic conditions, government policies, and current issues to lure job seekers with high-paying part-time jobs or employee recruitment. Since the hiring process is sloppy and the work is illegal, careful attention is necessary.”