A voice phishing ring that approached teenagers by offering cosmetics and clothing sponsorships, obtained their face photos, created deepfake sexual exploitation materials, and then used them to demand money has been handed over to prosecutors.
The South Chungcheong Provincial Police Agency's cyber investigation unit said on the 20th that it had arrested and referred without detention to prosecutors six people, including A, the Malaysia-based voice phishing ring's ringleader in their 20s, on charges including violations of the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection, the Act on the Punishment of Sexual Crimes, extortion, and attempted fraud.
From September last year to recently, they approached minors on social media such as TikTok and Instagram by proposing cosmetics and clothing sponsorships, obtained face photos and other images, and used them to produce deepfake sexual exploitation materials, investigators said.
They then threatened to distribute the videos to the victims' families and acquaintances and demanded money, it was found. The victims numbered 18 in total, including parents.
They also impersonated related agencies such as the Digital Sex Crime Victim Support Center to approach victims and, saying "it is necessary to delete the videos," induced them to install a malicious application (app), it was found.
Police said the group used contacts obtained through the malicious app to threaten to distribute the videos to family members and acquaintances and demanded additional money, but no actual financial damage occurred.
The investigation found the ring divided roles—overall control, production of fake videos, collection of personal information and distribution of malicious apps, and threats and extortion—and carried out the crimes in an organized manner.
After receiving victim reports, police launched an investigation and, starting in May last year, sequentially arrested five members of the ring and referred them in custody, while A, the ringleader who had fled overseas, was caught in Malaysia and extradited to Korea on the 13th, then additionally arrested and referred in custody.