"This Check Looks Suspicious"... Keen Eye Stops 500 Million Won Phishing Scam

Suspicious Checks Spotted During Locker Inspection at Yongsan Station, Prompt Report Made to Police

Seoul Yongsan Police Track Down Courier and Secure Checks

The quick eye of an employee at a train station partner company helped prevent voice phishing losses amounting to several hundred million won. The employee spotted suspicious checks, reported them quickly, and police were able to promptly trace the case, ultimately preventing further criminal damage.

At around 8 a.m. on the 20th, five checks with a face value of 100 million won each were stored in a private unmanned locker at Yongsan Station in Seoul. Provided by a reader

According to police on the 23rd, the Yongsan Police Station in Seoul received a report at around 8 a.m. on the 20th from employee A of a partner company at Yongsan Station, stating that "checks suspected of being related to voice phishing are being stored in an unmanned locker." Since unmanned lockers may be misused for criminal activities, employees regularly check the stored items. The reported items that day were five checks, each with a face value of 100 million won, issued in Dongnae-gu, Busan.

A police investigation found that these checks were actually the funds withdrawn by a woman in her seventies residing in Busan, who had been deceived by a voice phishing group. The phishing ring, impersonating a prosecutor's office, used a typical scheme of convincing the victim that "her bank account was linked to a criminal organization and she needed to verify her identity to prove her innocence," leading the victim to withdraw the money. Subsequently, a male courier in his fifties, identified as B, received the checks and took them from Busan to Seoul, where he placed them in an unmanned locker at Yongsan Station.

The police quickly obtained the courier's contact information and began tracking him. They met with B, checked his Telegram conversation records, and seized the checks. The investigation revealed that B did not realize the checks he was transporting were related to voice phishing crime, and police treated him as a simple courier, thus no charges were filed against him.

Throughout the weekend, the police kept in continuous contact with the bank to check for any additional losses. They also focused on protecting the victim, such as reassuring the elderly woman to prevent her from being shocked or anxious by the sudden incident. The seized checks will be returned to the victim after undergoing the necessary procedures with the prosecutors' office.

An official at Yongsan Police Station in Seoul stated, "We plan to award a commendation to the employee who played a crucial role in preventing this crime, and have also applied for a reporting reward. Careful observation and prompt reporting by citizens are highly effective in blocking and preventing criminal damage, so we encourage everyone to report suspicious activity proactively."

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