Overseas Voice Phishing Crimes Spreading from China to Southeast Asia

From 18 Cases in China to Widespread Incidents in Thailand and the Philippines
Already Surpassing the Total of 28 Cases for All of 2024

This year, voice phishing crimes that originated overseas have shown a trend of spreading from China to Southeast Asia. The number of consular assistance cases related to voice phishing crimes committed abroad has also increased significantly.

According to data on "the number of consular assistance cases provided to perpetrators of overseas voice phishing crimes" released on October 3 by Assemblywoman Lee Jaejung of the Democratic Party of Korea, there were a total of 46 cases of consular assistance for overseas voice phishing perpetrators in the first half of this year, already far surpassing the total of 28 cases for all of last year.

What is particularly serious is that the main locations of voice phishing crimes are expanding to several Southeast Asian countries. Of the 28 consular assistance cases last year, China accounted for 18, making it the primary hotspot for voice phishing. However, in the first half of this year, voice phishing crimes increased across various Southeast Asian countries, including Thailand (18 cases), the Philippines (9 cases), Cambodia (5 cases), and Vietnam (3 cases).

This demonstrates that the operational scope of voice phishing crime organizations is spreading throughout Southeast Asia. Furthermore, it suggests the necessity of international cooperation and prevention systems that go beyond specific countries in response to voice phishing.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that, considering the increase in consular assistance related to overseas voice phishing incidents, it added "voice phishing" as a crime type in the consular civil affairs system’s incident and accident categories starting in February 2024.

Assemblywoman Lee emphasized, "As voice phishing spreads to multiple countries, it is urgent to make multifaceted efforts to prevent damage," and added, "The government must prepare active and effective measures, such as strengthening cooperation with Southeast Asian countries."