[Voice112]② "Trusted Credit Card Issuance"... 20s Delivery Rider Involved in Voice Phishing Without Knowing

From Check Card to Voice Phishing Ghost Account
Violation of Electronic Financial Transactions Act Sent to Prosecution
Court Acquits, Saying 'Difficult to Know It Was a Voice Phishing Case'

A text message titled 'Credit Card Issuance Guide' sent by a voice phishing scammer to the victim. / Provided by Nayujin

[Asia Economy Reporters Jang Sehee and Cho Seongpil] "I have never heard of the Voice Phishing Integrated Reporting and Response Center, and I responded to the crime by contacting the Financial Supervisory Service and the police separately."

Na Yujin (26) said in a phone interview with this paper on the 10th that she was very flustered when she was involved in a voice phishing crime. Na was deceived by the bait of credit card issuance and sent her check card to the voice phishing gang, then requested account suspension from the Financial Supervisory Service and directly reported to the Gugal Police Substation of the Yongin Eastern Police Station in Gyeonggi Province, which was nearby.

In October last year, Na received a credit card issuance guidance message from A, who identified himself as a Hyundai Card planner, and contacted him. A said that the sender number of the message was an advertising number and that telephone consultation was not possible, so he asked to be contacted via KakaoTalk messenger. After the consultation, Na believed that linking a check card was necessary to receive the credit card issuance and handed over her check card and password to the voice phishing gang.

Na said she had no reason to doubt because she checked the registration certificate received from the Korea Credit Finance Association president and was told it was okay to empty the balance. Later, after noticing about 6 million won was deposited and then transferred through a specific ATM, she applied for account suspension.

A message from a voice phishing scammer informing the victim about the collection of a check card. / Provided by Nayujin

Check Card Handed Over to Voice Phishing Organization... Violation of the Electronic Financial Transactions Act

After completing the investigation at the Gyeonggi Southern Provincial Police Agency, Na was handed over to the prosecution as a suspect on December 28 last year. The charge applied was violation of the Electronic Financial Transactions Act. The allegation is that she handed over her check card to the voice phishing gang, allowing it to be used for crime. The current Electronic Financial Transactions Act prohibits transferring or lending check cards to others to prevent criminal misuse.

Na stated that she had no idea her account would be used as a mule account and was unaware of the voice phishing crime methods. She said, "I did not intend to commit a crime, but being treated like a criminal is very hard, and my life is falling apart. I think I lacked a lot of knowledge due to my lack of social experience."

Recently, voice phishing crimes targeting people in their 20s have been rampant. Voice phishing organizations are targeting young people with no social experience. B, also in his mid-20s, was indicted for violating the Electronic Financial Transactions Act after sending his check card to the voice phishing gang following a loan consultation with a company he learned about through an advertising message.

Whether It Is a 'Lending with Compensation' Is Important... Courts Acquit Due to 'Legal Ignorance and Difficulty in Knowing Specific Cases'

The key to determining guilt is whether the act of handing over the check card constitutes 'lending with compensation.' Gu Changmo, Chief Judge of Criminal Division 3 at Daejeon District Court, who presided over B's trial, said, "The law should not persecute ignorant people," and acquitted him, stating, "The defendant was deceived by a fraudster and sent the check card, but blocked the use of his account before the voice phishing crime was realized."

Cha Youngwook, Judge of Criminal Division 3 at Chuncheon District Court, also acquitted C (23), who was indicted for fraud. Despite years of government and media campaigns promoting that abnormal financial transactions could be voice phishing, it is difficult to know without encountering specific cases, which was the reason for the acquittal.