A voice phishing organization based in Cambodia has been caught by a joint government investigation team. It was revealed that the organization operated with a corporate structure, forming specialized teams according to criminal methods. The alias of the foreign mastermind was 'Ma Dong-seok.'
The Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office's voice phishing crime joint investigation team announced on the 18th that it has arrested 18 members of the organization, including A (32), the Head of Team of 'Hanya Call Center', on charges of joining and participating in a criminal group, and has sent 16 of them to trial.
'Hanya Call Center' formed seven specialized teams responsible for various voice phishing crimes, based on large capital procured by the mastermind 'Ma Dong-seok.' The specialized teams include ▲ Daeguk Team (impersonating investigative and financial agencies) ▲ Hacking Team (installing malicious software) ▲ Bodycam Phishing Team (extorting with pornographic videos) ▲ Romance Team (scamming under the pretense of sexual services) ▲ Leading Team (investing information fraud) ▲ Shopping Mall Team (review points fraud) ▲ Coin Team (cryptocurrency investment fraud). They mobilized almost all items of voice phishing.
In addition to these teams, they separately formed the 'Transfer Team' responsible for managing and laundering funds, and the 'Recruitment Team' responsible for supplying and managing personnel.
Team members also used aliases derived from the names of famous historical figures, such as 'Shin Saimdang', 'Heo Jun', 'Jang Geum', and 'Yu Gwan-sun', as well as characters from the 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms', like 'Yeo Po', 'Cho Seon', and 'Je Gal-ryang'. The team names and aliases were reportedly assigned internally by the organization.
Hong Wan-hee, the head of the joint investigation team, noted during a briefing at the Eastern District Prosecutors' Office that this is "essentially a form that encompasses all the voice phishing methods revealed so far," and said, "This organization has affiliated teams and is a typical corporate structure."
According to the joint investigation team, the 'core division' among the specialized teams was the Romance Team. The Romance Team, led by A, deceived victims by impersonating women in the sex trade, saying, "Please send the expenses for the sex service and the verification fee required for identity confirmation," and extorted a total of 527 million won from 11 victims from last October until April.
They operated the organization from Cambodia and shifted their base when there was a risk of detection. There were also teams that developed separate sites for their crimes, and when a victim suspected voice phishing and called, they deceived the opponent by pretending to be sex workers.
They were found to have recruited members by guaranteeing high profits to the so-called MZ generation. In fact, most of the 18 arrested were in their 20s and 30s.
The investigation began based on intelligence from the National Intelligence Service's International Crime Information Center. The joint investigation team is currently tracking 'Ma Dong-seok' and the remaining members of the organization, including a Korean deputy head.
Hong, the head of the joint investigation team, said, "Investigative authority cannot cross the borders of South Korea, but many crimes occur overseas," adding that "we need to apprehend through international cooperation, including passport invalidation and extradition of criminals."
It has been revealed that 48 Koreans participated in the organization as managers or counselors. However, since the majority of the members are in Cambodia, the scale of the crime is said to potentially increase by more than double. The joint investigation team stated, "We plan to conduct a thorough investigation to ensure that not a single person can escape, regardless of their involvement period."
The joint investigation team, which was launched on July 29, 2022, has apprehended a total of 829 individuals related to the voice phishing organization, including masterminds both domestically and internationally, and has arrested 345 of them.
The joint investigation team's operational period is until the 29th. Regarding the extension of this period, Hong stated, "I have only heard that the Presidential Office or the Office for Government Policy Coordination is considering whether to extend it," and added, "There are limits to the efforts of each agency in response to voice phishing, and a joint government organization involving the prosecution, police, Financial Supervisory Service (FSS), and National Tax Service is necessary for effective investigation."