On the 25th of last month, when someone in a Telegram chatroom asked a disposable phone distributor for "cell phones that illegal foreign residents in the area are looking for," this was the response. The distributor said, "The disposable phones are activated under the names of Vietnamese individuals they have. Since they are of legal status, there is no need for concern even if the users are illegal foreign residents."
The procedure for activating a disposable phone was simple. You deposit an expense of 350,000 won into a virtual asset called 'Tether' to the distributor, purchase a SIM card (USIM) at a convenience store, and inform the distributor of the serial number. The disposable phone can be activated on the same day. The distributor stated that they use virtual assets instead of a bank account to avoid tracking.
When I asked the distributor about the legal status of the foreigner lending their name, he sent an example with information such as name, date of birth, passport number, disposable phone number, SIM serial number, and telecommunications company. He also showed a counterfeit ID used for name theft.
The number of illegal disposable phone activations using personal information of foreigners has surged recently. The disposable phones activated this way serve as tools for the lifestyles of illegal residents and are exploited for various crimes such as voice phishing, highlighting the need for stringent penalties and management.
According to data submitted by the Korean National Police Agency to Yang Boo-nam of the Democratic Party of Korea, the number of discovered disposable phones registered under foreign names rose from 474 in 2019 to 71,416 last year, an increase of more than 150 times in five years. Last year, the total detection count was 97,399, of which more than 91%, or 89,403 cases, were activated through budget mobile carriers.
The activation of disposable phones using foreign names is prevalent not only on online platforms like Telegram but also in the offline distribution market. In areas densely populated with foreigners from China and Southeast Asia, mobile phone stores openly display signs offering to activate disposable phones using illegal foreign IDs.
Ma, a Chinese compatriot running a karaoke bar in Daerim-dong, Yeongdeungpo District, Seoul, said, "I have received money from disposable phone distributors in exchange for lending my name. Most Chinese compatriots, who became illegal residents after their visa expired, have activated disposable phones and live in Korea without significant inconvenience."
Shin, who runs a telecommunications agency in this area, said, "There are places that receive passport photos from illegal residents to create counterfeit IDs and activate disposable phones."
According to police and the telecommunications industry, disposable phone distributors buy passports or foreign registration cards from foreigners for about 30,000 won and then sell the disposable phones for around 300,000 won. Although many of the disposable phones sold are used by illegal residents, criminal organizations involved in voice phishing also purchase them for illicit purposes. They use them for about a month to avoid being tracked.
The names used for activating disposable phones can be sold by the foreigner themselves, but there are cases of identity theft. Those who are not proficient in Korean might not even realize they have been victimized until they suffer financial harm.
A worker of Thai nationality, who requested anonymity, said, "I found out that money was continuously being withdrawn from my bank account and upon checking, someone was making small payments using a cell phone activated in my name," adding, "I had been a victim of identity theft 4-5 years ago, and the amount withdrawn so far has reached 5 million won."
It is realistically difficult for foreign workers whose names have been stolen to report this, as there are hardly any police stations with interpreters who can communicate effectively with foreigners of various nationalities to properly state their cases.
A staff member at a foreigner counseling center said, "Foreigners who have been victims of identity theft go to the police station but end up empty-handed and seek help at counseling centers to write their statements in Korean," noting, "In rural areas, there are hardly any counseling centers outside of big cities, making it even more difficult for foreign workers to get help."
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