Seoul: The government has announced a comprehensive set of measures aimed at tackling the growing threat of voice phishing scams, which include implementing tougher punishments for mobile carriers. This initiative was finalized at an interagency task force meeting led by Government Policy Coordination Minister Yoon Chang-ryeol. The measures are strategically divided according to the stages of scams: from initial contact with victims through to deception, theft, and subsequent law enforcement investigations.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the Office for Government Policy Coordination highlighted in a press release that voice phishing crimes have evolved with subtle new methods, such as impersonating organizations, which have significantly increased the scope of damage and posed a continuous threat to people's wealth and safety.
As part of the new measures, the government will establish a "comprehensive response team" next month, spearheaded by the police. This team will be responsible for receiving reports of potential scams, analyzing them, blocking access, and launching investigations in a coordinated and real-time fashion. The team will operate around the clock with 137 permanent staff members, a significant increase from the current 43 staff at an equivalent center.
To curb illegal activities, mobile carriers will now be required to create criteria for detecting unusual activities during new cellphone activations at retail stores, such as a sudden increase in foreign subscribers. They will face strict penalties, including business suspensions, if a large number of illegal subscriptions occur due to poor oversight.
Furthermore, the government plans to introduce legislation mandating banks and other financial institutions responsible for preventing voice phishing scams to compensate victims either partially or fully. An artificial intelligence platform will also be launched to collect voice phishing-related data from the financial, telecom, and law enforcement sectors, with the aim of tracking and blocking suspicious accounts before they are utilized in crimes.
In an effort to bolster law enforcement, the government announced the formation of a voice phishing task force led by the head of the National Office of Investigation under the National Police Agency. This will coincide with a special five-month crackdown period on voice phishing, running from September through January 2026.