One year after integrated task force launch
Monthly losses fell to 25.7 billion won in August, lowest since 2023
Monthly voice phishing losses have fallen to their lowest level in nearly three years, one year after the launch of a dedicated integrated task force to combat telecommunications and financial fraud.
The Korean National Police Agency held a ceremony Tuesday afternoon at KT Corp's Gwanghwamun Building in Jongno-gu, Seoul, to mark the first anniversary of the Integrated Response Unit for Telecommunications and Financial Fraud, announcing that losses from voice phishing and other emerging scams have been on a downward trend.
According to the agency, both the number of voice phishing cases and total losses remained lower year-on-year for 11 consecutive months since the unit began operations on Sept. 29 last year. Losses in August fell to 25.7 billion won ($18.9 million), a 76 percent drop from 109 billion won in August last year and the lowest monthly figure since 2023.
"These results reflect the unit's comprehensive approach over the past year — from receiving tips and providing counseling to blocking criminal tools and supporting victim recovery," the agency said, adding that it plans to continuously upgrade its proactive response framework for emerging scams. The agency also said it would push for legislation — a bill to prevent large-scale fraud committed via telecommunications — to strengthen the response system against such crimes.
The unit consolidated previously fragmented reporting channels into a single reporting and counseling center. Previously, cases were often transferred from separate hotlines — 112 for police, 118 for the Korea Internet & Security Agency and 1332 for the Financial Supervisory Service — before being processed. The unit also shared the latest criminal methods with major platform operators including Naver and Kakao, leading to the blocking of more than 61,000 accounts used in fraud schemes.
At the anniversary ceremony, certificates of appreciation were presented to partner agencies including the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Financial Services Commission, the Korea Communications Commission, Korea Financial Intelligence Unit, the Financial Supervisory Service, the Korea Financial Security Institute and the Korea Internet & Security Agency, while commendations were given to outstanding staff members.
Kim Jong-cheol, acting commissioner general of the Korean National Police Agency, said the unit had built a one-stop integrated response system spanning finance, telecommunications and investigation, shifting from a reactive, after-the-fact approach to one focused on prevention and preemption. "We will not rest on our achievements so far, and will work through close collaboration with partner agencies to root out the ever-evolving threat of phishing crimes," he said.
arin@heraldcorp.com
