LG Uplus said on the 23rd that attempts at smishing crimes, such as impersonating gift deliveries, are increasing ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday, and that customers need to be cautious.
LG Uplus noted that customers should always be suspicious of any prompts to click on an unspecified internet address (URL) and advised the installation of spam message blocking apps and the setting of identity theft prevention features on their parents' mobile phones to prevent damage. To assist with this, LG Uplus plans to post a 'smishing prevention guideline' on its 'Your U+' app, official website, and social media channels, which families can follow easily during the Lunar New Year holiday.
If a text message from an unclear sender prompts the recipient to click on an internet address, there is a very high possibility that it is a smishing crime attempting to install malware. Recently, there has been a surge in such crimes using plausible phrases like 'Delivery address mismatch. Please confirm your address' and 'Selected for Haetsal Loan' to encourage recipients to click on the internet address within the messages.
However, since public institutions such as the prosecution, police, and Financial Supervisory Service do not send official documents via text messages, any messages containing such addresses should be ignored. If similar messages were sent from a general enterprise, it is safer to contact the respective company's official website or customer service.
If parents are excessively receiving spam messages targeting smishing, spam blocking apps operated by each telecom company can be helpful. In the case of LG Uplus, the 'U+ Spam Block' app features smart spam blocking capabilities that automatically block messages deemed spam and inform customers of the block history.
Recently, a feature has been added that allows customers to set phrases or numbers that they want to block, reflecting requests from customers for stronger security. Unlike the past where only area numbers like '02' and '060' could be blocked, users can now block all numbers starting with the specified number, enhancing the functionality. At the same time, to prevent blocking errors, it is also possible to set phrases and numbers to receive.
For example, if you want to block messages from numbers starting with 0077 that have increased recently, but still want to receive messages from Google, you can register '0077' in the block number and 'google' in the allowed phrases. If you want to block all international calls but still receive messages from Netflix, you enter 'international call' in the blocked items and 'Netflix' in the allowed items.
Measures to prevent others from using parents' personal information to activate mobile phones can also be easily taken through the PASS app operated by the three major telecom companies. The app allows users to view the 'list of mobile phones registered in my name,' enabling them to quickly check for illegal identity theft. Additionally, through the 'registration restriction setting' menu, one can completely block others from activating mobile phones in their parents' name.
It is also advisable to install vaccine apps like V3 and Al-Yak on parents' mobile phones and to check that real-time monitoring is functioning. If parents accidentally click on a link in a smishing message, they should immediately conduct a malware scan using the smartphone's vaccine app. If it is confirmed that malicious apps have been installed, the mobile phone should be switched to airplane mode and reset to minimize damage.
To prevent cash from being withdrawn from accounts, a report should be made to 112 for a payment stoppage application. When doing so, it is safe to use a different phone, as using the mobile phone with the malicious app could allow criminal organizations to intercept calls through 'telephone interception.'
In addition, it is important to register with the 'Personal Information Exposure Accident Prevention System' operated by the Financial Supervisory Service to prevent financial damage due to identity theft. If actual monetary damage has occurred, it is necessary to inform the police and obtain a 'fact confirmation certificate' in order to receive a refund later.
Since last year, LG Uplus has been running the 'U+ Munoshield Campaign' to prevent civil fraud such as voice phishing and smishing, providing guidelines for actions to take if infected with malicious apps.
Hong Kwan-hee, head of the Information Security Center (CISO, CPO) at LG Uplus, stated, 'The methods of crime targeting my personal information have become very sophisticated, making it difficult to distinguish at a glance,' and added, 'I hope families can share prevention methods to avoid unwanted damage and have a safe Lunar New Year holiday.'