Wando Police Establish 'SMS Hotline' to Block Voice Phishing

Strengthening Real-Time Cooperation Between Police and Financial Institutions

The Wando Police Station in South Jeolla Province has strengthened its real-time response system utilizing mobile text messages (SMS) in collaboration with local financial institutions to proactively counter voice phishing crimes.

On July 15, the Wando Police announced that they have established a real-time communication system with financial institutions, including text messaging, to prevent voice phishing damage. They have also set up a cooperative framework to share information quickly in the event of a crime.

Voice Phishing Illustration.

This measure was implemented as the importance of timely response became evident through actual cases of damage. According to the police, on July 11, a resident of Wando in their 60s, referred to as A, received a call from a voice phishing organization member impersonating an official from the Seoul Central District Court. A was threatened with claims of being involved in a crime and was instructed to transfer their entire fortune, approximately 80 million won, to a specific account.

Frightened, A canceled their savings and, following the instructions of the organization, took a taxi from Hwahuengpo Port to Wando Bus Terminal on July 14 to hand over the money to a designated collector. During the ride, the taxi driver became suspicious of A's phone conversation and reported it to the police. Thanks to the prompt response from a nearby police substation, the damage was prevented.

An officer at the time stated, "If it were not for the taxi driver's quick thinking, the victim would have suffered a complete loss," and added, "Recently, face-to-face theft methods like this have been increasing, so the attention of both citizens and financial institutions is urgently needed."

The Wando Police plan to continuously educate financial institutions about voice phishing tactics and response methods, while also establishing a direct communication line among staff so that suspicious transactions can be reported quickly.

Lee Seongil, Chief of the Wando Police Station, said, "Through this public-police cooperation meeting, we will respond swiftly to voice phishing crimes," and added, "We will do our utmost to minimize damage to county residents through ongoing awareness efforts and collaboration."