"An arrest warrant has been issued because an account in your name is linked to criminal activity." "A prosecutor will be contacting you shortly for questioning — make sure you answer." "You need to undergo a brief informal investigation, so please check into a nearby motel." "You must be very frightened. This can all be resolved once the facts are confirmed. Please send 10 million won ($7,070) first as a deposit."
Police have arrested a voice phishing organization that set up a call center in Bangkok, Thailand, impersonated prosecutors and Financial Supervisory Service officials, forced victims to isolate themselves in motels, and coerced them into sending nude photographs the gang then used to produce sexual exploitation material. Investigators found the group employed elaborate tactics, including playing recorded police radio sounds during calls to make the deception more convincing.
The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Metropolitan Investigation Unit's Financial Crime Investigation Team announced Thursday it had arrested 11 members of the voice phishing ring — including its Korean ringleader — on charges including participation in a criminal organization, violations of the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Prevention of Telecommunications-Based Financial Fraud, and violations of the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Violence Crimes. Nine of the 11 have been detained.
According to police, the suspects operated a call center in Bangkok from May to December 2025, impersonating prosecutors and Financial Supervisory Service officials to defraud 68 victims of approximately 6.7 billion won. They are also accused of forcing victims to stay in motels, photographing them in the nude and producing sexual exploitation material.
![Police arrest voice phishing gang members at their call center in Thailand. [Provided by Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency]](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/08/13/news-p.v1.20260813.4f4a0f582a6646209cf06dca93fff784_P1.png)
Investigators found the gang established a call center in Bangkok and assigned members to three tiers: first-line operators posing as prosecution investigators, second-line operators posing as prosecutors, and third-line operators posing as Financial Supervisory Service officials.
First-line members used previously obtained personal data to cold-call victims while impersonating investigators from the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office. They directed victims to a fraudulent prosecution website displaying forged arrest warrants and criminal-funds seizure notices, and told them a prosecutor would soon be in touch for direct questioning.
Immediately after the first-line call, second-line members contacted victims while posing as prosecutors, instructing them to check into a nearby motel for an "informal investigation." Once a victim was inside the room, the operators sent forged probation and physical examination documents, claiming a pre-detention physical inspection was required under temporary protective supervision procedures. Victims were then ordered to undress completely and photograph themselves with their phones before sending the images.
A third-line member posing as a Financial Supervisory Service official then approached the terrified victim, claiming a deposit had to be transferred to a Financial Supervisory Service account to resolve the case. The operator initially demanded relatively small sums — 1 million won or 10 million won — before exploiting the victim's psychological state to demand further transfers. If a victim refused, the call was routed back to a second-line member posing as a prosecutor to issue threats. Through this method, the gang extracted an average of 100 million won per victim, with some individuals losing as much as 500 million won.
A Chinese ringleader established the Bangkok operation, setting up the call center, living quarters, computers and phones, then ran it jointly with a Korean co-ringleader. The organization comprised 24 members in total — 20 Koreans and four Chinese nationals. Members were drilled repeatedly on scripted scenarios at the shared residence before being assigned to their roles, and could be promoted from first-line to second- or third-line positions based on performance.
Criminal proceeds were distributed according to role: first-line members received 4 percent of the amount defrauded, second-line members received 10 percent, and third-line members received 13 percent. To maintain control, the ringleaders confiscated members' passports and threatened to hand them over to local Thai police if work rules were violated, while also subjecting members to verbal abuse.
![Voice phishing gang members arrested in cooperation with the Thai National Police's Central Investigation Bureau are escorted to a local detention facility. [Provided by Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency]](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/08/13/news-p.v1.20260813.bd91758f1da64ff6bd74964a8b9e0030_P1.png)
The arrests came through international cooperation under the pan-government joint task force on transnational crime.
Police arrested nine Korean members of the gang in Thailand and repatriated them to South Korea in stages between February and May, after which they were detained and referred for prosecution. Two additional members who had already returned to South Korea were arrested separately, bringing the total to 11. Police also completed a preservation order on 157 million won in criminal proceeds.
"Voice phishing organizations are becoming increasingly sophisticated — presenting meticulously forged official documents and even setting up fake government websites," a police official said. "If anyone claiming to be a prosecutor or Financial Supervisory Service official demands a physical search or asks you to transfer a deposit to resolve a case, do not comply under any circumstances and report it to police immediately."
kido@heraldcorp.com
