From Crimes Hurting Ordinary People to Technology Overseas Leakage: 'Crime Warning'

Security Network 2024 Report, Concerns Over Intensifying Intelligent Crime

This year, it is expected that crimes such as jeonse fraud and investment fraud targeting the general public, as well as economic security-related crimes, will increase.

The Police University Institute of Public Safety Policy recently published the 'Public Safety Network 2024' report, predicting that intelligent crimes including jeonse fraud, insurance fraud, and investment leading room (illegal quasi-investment advisory firms) fraud will become more rampant.

The report contains predictions based on big data of past crime cases, using machine learning to forecast the number of crimes expected to occur this year. Although there are limitations since these figures are AI-generated forecasts, the data provides an indication of the public safety situation for the year.

According to the report, the number of intelligent crime cases such as jeonse fraud, insurance fraud, and investment leading room fraud reached 322,377 by September last year and is expected to exceed 420,000 annually. This represents an increase of more than 3% compared to the previous year (405,105 cases).

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In particular, the number of victims of investment leading room fraud recorded by the police until July this year is 9,360, with damages amounting to 240 billion KRW. Including undisclosed cases, the estimated damage could reach up to 1 trillion KRW.

Due to intensified crackdowns by the police and the Financial Supervisory Service, the number of detected cases is expected to continue increasing next year. The institute analyzed, "Phishing fraud, characterized by features such as non-face-to-face, online, proxy items, and cross-border activities, is becoming more sophisticated and organized, so the upward trend is expected to continue next year."

Additionally, among economic security-related offenders, overseas leakage cases increased by 75% to 21 cases last year compared to 12 cases the previous year. The police expect the proportion of overseas leakage cases among total cases to continue rising this year and plan to establish a focused response system for overseas leakage crimes.

Furthermore, drug crimes, which have recently emerged as a social issue, are predicted to increase by about 13% compared to last year. Over the past five years, drug crimes have steadily increased since 2018, except for a temporary decrease in 2021. In 2022, 10,331 cases were detected, showing a 28% increase from the previous year and surpassing 10,000 cases for the first time. Last year, by September alone, there were 12,134 cases, about 48% more than the 8,154 cases during the same period the previous year.

Also, with the 22nd National Assembly election approaching, election crimes are expected to increase by 122% compared to the previous year. During the presidential election period in 2022 (January to September), violations of the Public Official Election Act increased by 1,099% compared to the same period the previous year, reaching 2,902 cases.

The report recommends, “Strict and consistent punishment for violations of election laws is necessary to raise awareness against illegal election campaigns, and efforts to strengthen education on the Public Official Election Act are needed to ensure fair and free elections.”