Park Mo, the first-generation voice phishing organization leader known as ‘Team Leader Kim Mi-young,’ escaped from a local prison in the Philippines, prompting the South Korean government to take action.
Voice phishing mastermind Park Mo, who impersonated 'Team Leader Kim Mi-young' to embezzle money. [Image source=National Police Agency]
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Police Agency on the 8th, Park escaped from a prison in the Philippines earlier this month. It is reported that he fled while being transferred back to prison after attending a trial at a local court.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, “The local embassy has been continuously consulting with Philippine authorities for a swift capture since immediately recognizing Park’s escape.” A National Police Agency official also explained, “We are discussing specific response measures with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and others.”
Park previously worked as a police officer in South Korea but was dismissed in 2008 due to bribery charges and other issues. In 2012, he established a call center in the Philippines and committed voice phishing crimes.
The organization led by Park sent text messages under the name ‘Team Leader Kim Mi-young’ to an unspecified number of people, then pretended to provide loan consultations through an automated response system (ARS) to extract personal information and embezzle hundreds of billions of won.
Even after many other members of the organization were arrested and detained in 2013, Park continued to live in hiding until he was captured locally in the Philippines in October 2021.
The National Police Agency has since pushed for Park’s forced repatriation, but his additional crimes and sentencing in the Philippines delayed his return to South Korea as he remained incarcerated there.
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