Smishing Text Sent at 9:27 AM
Controversy Within Doctor Community
"Only Doctors Received It" Consensus Formed
Ministry of Health Privacy Leak Conspiracy Theory Also Raised
"Hello. I am texting you regarding the marketing inquiry you made earlier. Please call me when you are available :D"
There has been a claim that marketing-related smishing texts were sent only to doctors. Furthermore, a conspiracy theory has emerged suggesting that personal information might have been leaked during the Ministry of Health and Welfare's process of securing all doctors' phone numbers to issue medical service continuation orders to striking resident doctors, which is expected to further escalate the controversy.
Some individuals in doctor communities claim that marketing-related smishing messages were sent exclusively to doctors. [Photo by Online Community]
On the morning of the 15th, a post on the online community 'The Call' highlighted that a specific number starting with '010' sent marketing-related smishing texts. As of 2 PM, the post had attracted 1,370 views and 101 spam reports, showing significant interest. The Call is a kind of archive where phone numbers used for smishing calls and texts are stored based on user reports, and it has a comment feature allowing free communication.
A user identified as a doctor, Mr. A, wrote, "Has everyone received the text?" and claimed, "It seems that the personal information of all doctors was leaked during the government's investigation of individual identities to issue administrative orders to resident doctors."
In the photo Mr. A posted along with the message, one can see a specific 11-digit phone number and the time the message was received (9:27 AM). Coincidentally, many of those who received the same message from the same number at 9:27 AM are current doctors, including residents and specialists, which seems to have created a sense of consensus.
Doctors expressing frustration after receiving specific smishing messages on 'The Call,' a site reporting smishing phone numbers, [Photo by Online Community]
Doctor B said, "I thought I was the only one who received it, but several colleagues did too," adding, "No other professions received it; it was sent exclusively to doctors. I was angry and called the spam number, but it was turned off. I have reported it as smishing for now." Doctor C also said, "I saw the post on a community that requires doctor verification to join and initially dismissed it, but I also received the same message," and added, "I don't know where the leak happened, but seeing that it was mainly sent to the doctor group, I can't help but be suspicious." Doctor D claimed, "It was leaked while they were digging into personal information to issue administrative orders to resident doctors."
Many other doctors who said they received the message expressed dissatisfaction. Comments on The Call's website included reactions such as, "Does receiving this text mean doctor verification?" "We might need to file a class-action lawsuit for personal information leakage," "It seems the Ministry of Health and Welfare was hacked. Even doctors who are not members of Medigate or Medistaff (doctor communities) reportedly received it," and "Is this message sent only to a specific group?"
Meanwhile, on the 14th, the government announced that 92.9% of resident doctors who opposed the increase in medical school admissions had submitted resignation letters and left their workplaces. According to a written inspection by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, as of 11 AM on the 11th, 12,001 resident doctors had left 100 major training hospitals. Cases classified as requiring prior notification exceeded 9,000.
■ How to Prevent Text Scams and Messenger Phishing
- Strengthen smartphone security settings to prevent installation of unknown applications (apps).
- Do not download apps via links in received texts; instead, install them through official open markets (Play Store, App Store).
- Install antivirus programs and keep them updated with real-time monitoring enabled.
- Never enter or provide personal or financial information such as ID cards when requested under the pretext of identity verification or government subsidies.
- If the conversation partner requests personal/financial information, money, or app installation, verify their identity accurately via phone or video call.
- Immediately delete photos of resident registration cards, driver's licenses, passports, etc., stored on your smartphone to prevent leakage of ID photos.
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