The electronics and IT sectors are stepping up consumer guidance and security measures to guard against a recent rise in "impersonating corporations" scams. Notices to prevent fraud, once mostly seen in finance, are increasingly appearing on electronics and IT corporations' websites and applications (apps). Even when a corporation is not at fault, impersonation scams can damage its brand image.
According to the industry on the 30th, SK hynix has posted a "beware of impersonation scams" notice on the main page of its official website for more than a year. That came after scams in which phishing sites impersonating SK hynix demanded cryptocurrency deposits under the pretext of recruiting investment partners or induced wire transfers by citing the sale of convertible bonds. A formal response at the corporate level became unavoidable. As SK hynix's share price has surged recently, the risk of impersonation scams targeting investors has grown.
SK hynix stresses in the notice that it "does not contact individuals or request deposits." The corporation set up an in-house security analysis team last year to centralize security management. It unified security and information protection tasks that had been dispersed by business unit to strengthen responsiveness, and established a system to counter broad security threats such as technology leaks, phishing sites, and impersonation account threats.
This type of scam is spreading to the telecom and platform sectors. In Mar., KT discovered cases where scammers impersonated its employees to demand call forwarding settings and immediately distributed a notice. Kakao sent warning messages to customers after many accounts impersonating employees or partners were detected in open chat. Naver repeatedly issued alerts as text-message scams impersonating Naver Pay increased.
Earlier, LG Electronics and Lotte Cultureworks also asked consumers to be cautious after confirming counterfeit websites, production staff impersonations, and fake events. In the previous month, EcoPro urged caution, saying that a "fake site for EcoPro forced-sell order applications" had been opened, raising concerns about investor harm.
According to the Korean National Police Agency, the number of cyber fraud arrests rose about 24.6%, from 167,688 in 2023 to 208,920 in 2024. Analysts say not only have the numbers grown, but crime techniques are becoming more sophisticated, with phishing, smishing, and quishing combined in an organized manner. As a result, crimes impersonating corporations are also on the rise.
A rapid increase in secondary crime attempts following recent telecom hacks at SK Telecom, KT, and others is another factor making the industry nervous. As corporations not directly related to the hacks are added to the list of impersonation targets, some warn that consumer anxiety could lead to a drop in trust. Some corporations are expanding responses such as surging customer service inquiries, crackdowns on fake sites, and considering legal action.
The industry sees significant risk the moment a corporation's name is exposed, even if the impersonation crime occurs outside corporate control. An electronics industry official said, "When damage occurs, we cannot help but feel responsible even if it is not our fault," adding, "We will continue to strengthen consumer warnings and security management."