Police Officials In South Korea Busts A Local Group Allegedly Working For A Chinese Phishing Gang

South Korean police officials arrested a 22-year-old man for allegedly working with the Chinese voice phishing gang who used nude photos and videos of their victims to blackmail them for money. Identified as Kang, the man was taken to the Gwangjin Police Precinct after caught transferring funds - which he obtained a share of 10 percent - to the gang.

A 22-year-old woman identified as Park, along with eight more accomplices, were accused of the same crime without detention.

The Korea JoongAng Daily reported yesterday that the group was involved with a new type of scam called "body cam," wherein phishers pretended to be women and lured their victims through mobile social apps. The group sent malware to the mobile devices of their victims by sending nude photos of women. In turn, they were able to access the users' mobile phonebook. They also asked them to engage in nude video chats and recorded these, so they could use to blackmail their victims.

Approximately 400 people had been victimized by the phishing gang, with their illegal earnings amounting to $142,800. Of the victims, only 10 individuals contacted the authorities to report the case.

"Most of the victims didn't report the damage because they were worried they may face charges over attempts to buy a prostitute," explained the police spokesman. 

Phishers involved in the Chinese gang also acquired money from men by pretending to contrive sexual services with prostitutes and asking their victims for advanced payment. The funds generated by Kang and his group from their fraudulent acts were then remitted to China.

Kang first started phishing in South Korea in 2013 until he was caught by officials. Despite being placed on probation in the same year under court orders, Kang contacted the Chinese phishing gang once again in August 2014, recruiting his friends and cousins to join the group.

In an article published on May 23, Thanhnien News noted the Vietnamese police arrested 24 Taiwanese and Chinese nationals for voice phishing scam. The phishers allegedly earned $3.66 million in a span of one year from tricking people into giving their bank account via phone call and withdrawing their money from ATM machines.

In Vietnam, hundreds of phishers - comprising largely of Chinese and Vietnamese nationals - have already been arrested for such scams.