Customer Almost Transferred Money to Voice Phishing Group, Protected by LG U+

On-site Visit with Seoul Police for Suspected 'Card Delivery Impersonation' Voice Phishing
Customer Rescued Just Before Transferring a Large Sum of Money

#At the end of February, LG Uplus visited a customer's residence in Mapo-gu, Seoul, together with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency. The customer's smartphone had a malicious app installed, allowing a voice phishing organization impersonating card delivery to hijack all calls and texts. Even when calling 112, the customer encountered a criminal group impersonating investigative agencies, leading the customer to mistakenly believe that the police and LG Uplus staff were voice phishing members. The customer was about to transfer a large sum of money, but by moving together to the police station, they were able to alert authorities to the dangerous situation and remove the malicious app, preventing further damage.

LG Uplus announced on the 2nd that it had directly visited customers at risk of voice phishing damage due to malicious app installation, in cooperation with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, to prevent financial losses.

Roadmap for the cooperation system between LG Uplus and the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency to counter voice phishing schemes impersonating card delivery. Provided by LG Uplus

LG Uplus operates its own customer damage prevention analysis system to detect in real time the control servers of malicious apps run by voice phishing organizations. The police, who regularly receive detection results, visit citizens expected to be victims directly.

Beyond providing information to the police, LG Uplus accompanied the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on a field visit at the end of February as a pilot. This was to understand new criminal methods and find ways to prevent customer damage. According to LG Uplus, during field visits conducted in Mapo-gu and Seodaemun-gu, malicious apps were deleted and customer damage was prevented.

The malicious app installers encountered on site were targets of the recently frequent 'card delivery impersonation' voice phishing. When victims are confused by notifications that cards they never applied for will be delivered, the voice phishing organization tells them that there seems to be a problem with their phone, prompting victims to install a remote control app themselves and then implant malicious apps.

Afterward, the voice phishing organization induces victims to report directly to numbers such as 112, 1301 (Prosecutor's Office), and 1332 (Financial Supervisory Service), but whichever number the customer calls, the call is answered by the criminal organization. However, customers believe they have contacted the police, prosecutors, or the Financial Supervisory Service, making them vulnerable to personal information leaks and financial damage.

LG Uplus plans to provide a 'Malicious App Suspicion Alert' service that notifies users of dangerous situations in a way that voice phishing organizations cannot easily hijack. They also plan to enhance the voice phishing detection scenarios applied last year to the AI call agent 'ixi-O'.

Based on the results of the first field visit, LG Uplus and the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency plan to strengthen their cooperative system to prevent voice phishing. Hong Gwanhee, Executive Director and Head of the Information Security Center at LG Uplus, said, "Through cooperation with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, we have had the opportunity to encounter new methods and prepare countermeasures. We will strive to advance the system that alerts voice phishing situations so that customers can continue to use services safely."

Shim Musong, Head of the Phishing Crime Investigation Division of the Criminal Mobile Unit at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Metropolitan Investigation Team, said, "There are cases where people mistake the police for voice phishing members even after being informed by the police about malicious app installation. If you are suspicious, the best method is to visit the nearest police station or precinct directly. Especially, please remember that under no circumstances do the police or prosecutors request money," he urged.