Malware in Fake Courier Company Messages
14 Victims Totaling 500 Million Won in Damages
"Do Not Open Links in Unknown Texts"
A so-called 'smishing' gang that sent text messages impersonating a courier company to steal personal information and then swindle money has been arrested by the police. The police are currently identifying the mastermind of the organization who instructed these individuals to withdraw the stolen funds and have requested cooperation from Interpol.
On the 20th, the Cyber Investigation Division of the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency announced that they arrested two people, including a Korean man in his 20s, Mr. A, who acted as a withdrawal agent for a Chinese phishing organization suspected of fraud, and booked two others, including Mr. B who lent his bank account, without detention on charges of violating the Financial Transactions Act, and sent the case to the prosecution.
The Chinese phishing organization to which Mr. A and others belong indiscriminately sent text messages containing the message "The item is being held due to address mismatch" to an unspecified number of people. The message included a link that could install malicious code.
The gang used various information stored on victims’ mobile phones, such as personal data, to transfer money from the victims’ accounts without their knowledge. They also committed phone financial fraud by impersonating prosecutors and deceiving victims with claims like "Your account was used in a fraud case involving approximately 8 billion KRW," thereby swindling money.
According to the police investigation, the organization to which Mr. A and others belong has swindled approximately 500 million KRW from 14 victims between May 16 and July 8 using these methods.
After receiving reports and launching an investigation, the police arrested two withdrawal agents including Mr. A and identified the mastermind of the Chinese phishing organization who planned and executed the entire case, requesting a red notice from Interpol. Additionally, two others, including Mr. B who lent bank accounts to Mr. A and others and agreed to receive about 10% of the total withdrawn amount, were booked.
Meanwhile, to prevent smishing damage, the police advised the public to ▲ refrain from opening links attached to unknown text messages such as those related to courier services, mobile wedding invitations, or health insurance ▲ if a link has been opened, run a virus scan or reset the mobile phone ▲ if personal information has been exposed, seek help from financial authorities’ websites such as 'Fine,' 'MSafer,' or 'AccountInfo.'
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