Reports of 'Telegram Deepfake Rooms' Victimization Increase Tenfold... 24 Suspects Identified

8 Deepfake Bots 'Under Investigation Before Indictment'
Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Forms Task Force

The police announced that 88 cases related to Telegram deepfake sex crimes were reported last week, and 24 suspects have been identified.

At a regular press briefing on the 2nd, Woo Jong-su, head of the National Investigation Headquarters, said, "There were 297 cases from January to July this year, but 88 cases were reported just last week. It used to be less than 10 cases per week, so this is nearly a tenfold increase," adding, "Victims are actively reporting these incidents."

Director Woo explained, "The Telegram room for female military personnel deepfakes disappeared on the same day it was reported in the media," and said, "Due to investigative techniques, it is difficult to discuss specific details. We will strive to quickly secure investigative leads."

He also stated, "Undercover investigations are only possible targeting minors and require prior approval as a mandatory condition. I believe the scope of investigations into digital sex crimes should be expanded to include adults," and added, "We will consider measures to allow post-approval in urgent cases such as weekends and holidays."

Currently, the Cyber Investigation Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency is conducting a preliminary investigation into eight Telegram programs (bots) that automatically generate deepfake sexual exploitation materials. The Seoul Police have organized a task force (TF) to focus on responding to deepfake sex crimes and other false video materials. The TF is led by the head of the Cyber Investigation Division as the overall team leader and consists of three dedicated investigation teams, a cyber profiling team, a digital forensic team, and a support department team, operating until March 31 of next year.