[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Hye-seon] SK Telecom has expressed concerns that spam and smishing messages impersonating investigative agencies, financial institutions, and courier companies are expected to increase significantly during the Chuseok holiday period, urging mobile communication users to exercise special caution.
SKT announced on the 4th that while losses from voice phishing decreased by 28.5% compared to 2020, losses from messenger phishing increased by 165.7%, indicating a significant rise in scams using messengers since COVID-19. With frequent travel and gift purchases during the Chuseok holiday, cases of impersonating family members, falsifying payments, or pretending to offer temporary special loans or policy funds are expected to increase.
Additionally, crimes impersonating institutions such as the prosecution, police, and Financial Supervisory Service have increased significantly compared to previous years. If malicious apps included in messages impersonating these institutions are mistakenly installed, not only can information be stolen, but damages can also occur through methods such as call interception. According to the National Investigation Headquarters of the Korean National Police Agency, the number of crimes impersonating institutions from January to July increased by 16 percentage points compared to previous years.
The main response methods by case are as follows.
Approach by phone pretending to be judicial institutions such as the prosecution, claiming involvement in a crime
Institutions such as the prosecution, police, and Financial Supervisory Service never send official documents via text messages or messengers under any circumstances. They also officially state that they do not request cash transfers or collect personal financial transaction information. If you receive a text message or call claiming to be from a judicial institution requesting personal money transfers or financial transaction information, you should verify the authenticity by contacting the institution through an official phone number before clicking on any internet address (URL) or installing unknown apps.
Cases where messages impersonate family or acquaintances to request information or money transfers
If you receive a message claiming that a family member or acquaintance has had an accident or their phone is broken and they are in an emergency using a friend’s or nearby acquaintance’s phone, you should directly contact the family member or acquaintance to confirm the message’s accuracy. Responding to requests for identification, bank account information, or money transfers in haste can lead to losses.
Cases impersonating financial companies to guide low-interest loans or special loans for small business owners
If you receive loan guidance via text or messenger claiming to be from a financial company, it is advisable not to contact the phone number included in the message or click on the URL. If you do make a call, avoid clicking on URLs or installing apps sent via messenger or text messages. Financial experts recommend that if you need banking or card services, you should visit the financial institution directly.
Cases inducing app installation or URL clicks citing traffic fines or courier address corrections
Under no circumstances should you click on text messages that induce URL clicks or app installations from unknown sources, and if you install such apps, you should immediately delete them using a mobile antivirus.
How to respond if damage occurs
If you suspect financial damage, it is advisable to immediately contact the customer center of the relevant financial institution, the police (112), or the Financial Supervisory Service (1332) to request a payment stop on your account.
You can also report spam to the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA), and SKT operates its own reporting and response channels to promptly respond to fraud damage caused by spam. When suspicious spam messages are forwarded, SKT analyzes the messages and takes measures such as blocking them in the system.
Even if no direct financial damage has occurred, reporting suspicious messages or calls to the police (112) can greatly help in early blocking of criminal activities by fraud organizations.
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