The Korean National Police Agency said it will implement an "emergency blocking system" starting on the 24th that blocks phone numbers used for crimes such as voice phishing within 10 minutes. The plan centers on the Integrated Response Team for Telecommunications-Based Financial Fraud (Integrated Response Team) and involves cooperation with the three mobile carriers SK Telecom, KT and LG Uplus, as well as Samsung Electronics.
Police have been blocking phone numbers used in crimes by using the "service suspension" measure under the Telecommunications Business Act. But it took more than two days from report to suspension, limiting swift response.
In particular, about 75% of voice phishing crimes occur within 24 hours after the initial "Decoy" text or call is received. The Korean National Police Agency has therefore pursued early blocking through the emergency blocking system.
If suspicious texts or calls are reported through the "easy report" feature on Samsung Electronics smartphones or via the Integrated Response Team website, police analyze the phone number and notify the carrier, which then blocks it immediately for seven days.
After the block, criminals cannot make calls or send "Decoy" texts with that number. Even if a person who received a "Decoy" text calls back, the call will not connect.
During a three-week pilot run by the Integrated Response Team, 145,027 reports were received, and 5,249 phone numbers were urgently blocked after excluding duplicates and misreports. There were also cases in which the team, based on incoming reports and real-time monitoring, blocked voice phishing perpetrators who were approaching other victims.
Police urged active reporting for the emergency blocking system but also asked the public to refrain from malicious false reports or prank reports, noting that they are subject to criminal punishment.