Supreme Prosecutors' Office Launches "Multi-Victim Crime Intensive Investigation Team"
to Target Voice Phishing and Multi-Level Fraud
The prosecution has established a dedicated investigation team to swiftly investigate organized multi-victim crimes such as voice phishing and illegal financial solicitation.
On September 10, the Supreme Prosecutors' Office announced that it has set up the "Multi-Victim Crime Intensive Investigation Team" at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, with a focus on the Criminal Affairs Department and the Narcotics and Organized Crime Department. The team, led by Kim Yongje, Head Prosecutor of the Criminal Affairs Division 3 and an expert in information and IT, is composed of 12 members, including prosecutors (prosecutorial researchers) and investigators (such as forensic accountants).
Initially, the plan is to temporarily deploy the team to the Central District Prosecutors' Office, where large-scale multi-victim crimes are concentrated, for three to four months, and then consider expanding its operation based on performance. Currently, the Central District Prosecutors' Office is investigating approximately 51% of major multi-victim crime cases involving damages of over 10 billion won. A representative from the Supreme Prosecutors' Office explained, "The intensive investigation team will work with the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office to investigate cases that require swift and focused investigation, such as those with many victims or large financial damages that have attracted significant public attention, as well as cases that require tracking masterminds and uncovering the organizations behind these crimes."
Cases of illegal financial solicitation and multi-level marketing fraud have increased from 3,071 in 2022 to 3,335 in 2023 and 3,727 in 2024. However, the case disposition rate remains at only 20-30% each year, resulting in prolonged investigations. Because these crimes are often organized on a nationwide scale over long periods, investigations typically begin only after the damage has spread, making evidence collection difficult and records extensive, which further prolongs the investigative process.
In response, Minister of Justice Jeong Seongho instructed last month that crimes threatening public welfare with the potential for large-scale damages be investigated swiftly and rigorously, and that close cooperation with financial institutions be maintained to block potential damages. A representative from the Supreme Prosecutors' Office stated, "We will do our best to swiftly investigate multi-victim crimes that harm the public, ensure thorough recovery for victims, and fulfill the prosecution's fundamental role of protecting and safeguarding the people from crime."
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