Hanwha Securities Mokdong Branch, Which Prevented Suspicious 50 Million Won Withdrawal, Receives Commendation from Police

Preventing Voice Phishing Scams

Park Hye-kyung, Team Leader of the Hanwha Investment & Securities Mokdong Branch Operations Team (left), and Seo Jeong-sun, Chief of Yangcheon Police Station, are posing for a commemorative photo. (Provided by Hanwha Investment & Securities)

[Asia Economy Reporter Minwoo Lee] Hanwha Investment & Securities Mokdong Branch received a commendation from the police for its efforts related to voice phishing.

Hanwha Investment & Securities announced on the 25th that on the 22nd, Hye-kyung Park, the team leader of the Mokdong Branch, received a commendation from the Yangcheon Police Station for contributing to the prevention of voice phishing damage and the arrest of suspects.

On the 8th, Team Leader Park noticed a customer showing signs of anxiety requesting an unusual new account opening and judged it to be similar to a voice phishing case, so she applied for a payment suspension. The customer attempted to transfer the entire 50 million KRW deposited via mobile, but when the transaction did not go through, the customer and an accompanying person visited the branch to request a cash withdrawal. In response, Team Leader Park delayed the transaction by stating that the source of funds needed to be verified and, with the help of the compliance team and the police, ultimately prevented the voice phishing damage.

Team Leader Park said, "In recent compliance training, I became suspicious because it was similar to cases where young people were asked to make account transfers in exchange for fees," adding, "Thanks to the active support of my colleagues, we were able to respond quickly."

Seo Jeong-soon, Chief of Yangcheon Police Station, said, "We appreciate the prompt response of Team Leader Park and the staff," and added, "Voice phishing through securities accounts, as well as banks, has been increasing recently, so we ask for continued attention to prevention."