Police Crack Down on 115 '010 Number Manipulation' Relay Stations... 54 Arrested in Sweep

Crackdown on Phishing and Scam Relay Stations Through Collaboration with KT
5,580 Devices Seized, 84 Individuals Involved in Installation and Management Arrested

The police have cracked down on 115 relay stations and arrested 54 individuals in a sweeping operation to block "010 number" manipulation communications, which are considered a primary method in voice phishing and new types of scam crimes.

On June 18, the National Police Agency announced that, in collaboration with KT, it had conducted a focused operation since May 12 against organizations operating communication devices for manipulating 010 numbers (such as SIM boxes and iPhones). As a result, they apprehended 84 people—including those responsible for installing and managing the illegal equipment—on charges such as violating the Telecommunications Business Act, and detained 54 of them. A total of 5,580 manipulation devices were also seized.

Communication devices for 010 number tampering (SIM box, iPhone, etc.) seized during a police crackdown. National Police Agency

This crackdown utilized KT’s independently developed artificial intelligence (AI) technology to analyze signs of phishing in advance and identify suspicious phone lines. With technical support from KT, the police conducted a nationwide investigation and detected 115 illegal relay stations. The 5,580 devices seized during the operation had been used by phishing organizations based overseas as a key means of contacting domestic victims. By displaying overseas calls as originating from a 010 number, the calls could be mistaken for legitimate communications from financial institutions or public agencies.

The police explained that, as a result of this operation, voice phishing damages decreased by 19% and purchase agency (no-show) scam damages dropped by 24% last month compared to April. They stated their intention to focus further on crime prevention, including the full-scale operation of the "AI Model-Based Phishing Suspicious Number Detection and Blocking System," which was established in January this year in collaboration with KT.

The police also warned that accepting offers to install or manage private relay stations under the guise of high-paying part-time work constitutes not only a violation of the Telecommunications Business Act, but may also be punishable as an accomplice to voice phishing.

Oh Chang-bae, Head of the Telecommunications Financial Fraud Response Division at the National Police Agency, stated, "Phishing and scam crimes are representative organized crimes that exploit communication networks," adding, "We will strengthen cooperation with telecommunications companies to detect and crack down on illegal relay stations swiftly."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.