Gangdong Police Station Leads Voice Phishing Prevention in Partnership with Local Community

'Beomgangdong Resident Promotion Project' Agreement Ceremony / Photo by Gangdong Police Station, Seoul

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jung-yoon] On the 8th, the Gangdong Police Station in Seoul held a 'Gangdong District Residents Promotion Project' agreement ceremony with five organizations including the Gangdong District Office, and will take measures to prevent voice phishing.

This project focuses on 'comprehensive, life-oriented promotion' using both online and offline methods. The partner organizations and residents will carry out customized promotions tailored to specific targets such as public institutions, subway stations, financial institutions, and public housing within the district to ensure easy access in daily life. The agreement ceremony was attended by five organizations including Gangdong Police Station, Gangdong District Office, Gangdong Nonghyup, Gangdong District Branch of the Korea Foodservice Industry Association, and Gangdong District Branch of the Korea Senior Citizens Association.

Earlier, since the 22nd of last month, Gangdong Police Station formed a task force team led by the head of the investigation department to reduce voice phishing damage in the district and has been conducting prevention promotion activities led by the police station. With cooperation from Gangdong District Office and traditional market merchants' associations, banners, posters, and placards containing QR codes linking to the 'Voice Phishing Guardian' site operated by the Financial Supervisory Service, along with major damage types, have been installed in district newsletters, subway stations, and bus stops.

According to Gangdong Police Station, the amount of voice phishing damage in the district has increased by more than 2 billion KRW annually, from 5.3 billion KRW in 2018, 7.1 billion KRW in 2019, to 9.7 billion KRW in 2020. This year, the damage amount reached 2.1 billion KRW by February alone, and if the current trend continues, it is estimated that damage will reach 12 billion KRW.

Gangdong Police Station expects the project to enhance the effectiveness of voice phishing prevention. They also believe that as the police workload decreases due to crime prevention, the ability to respond to other crime risk factors in the region will improve. Kang Sang-gil, chief of Gangdong Police Station, stated, "We will do our best together with the local community to eradicate voice phishing, a malicious crime that exploits the desperate feelings of ordinary people."