Police have arrested members of a voice phishing organization that impersonated prosecutors and financial institutions to steal hundreds of millions of won.
According to Yonhap News, the Busan Metropolitan Police Agency's Special Investigation Unit apprehended 67 individuals, including a 30-year-old Chinese national identified as A, on September 17 for violating the Telecommunications Fraud Act, with 17 of them being detained.
Police stated that A is the leader of the group that previously impersonated 'Prosecutor Kim Min-soo' to commit voice phishing against job seekers in their 20s.
From August 2015 to July 2021, A and his associates allegedly set up call centers overseas, including in China, and impersonated officials from the prosecution and the Financial Supervisory Service to defraud victims of approximately 5 billion won.
The group attracted members through high-paying job advertisements on social media, dividing roles among call center operators, recruiters, and cash collectors.
They deceived victims by claiming that their names were linked to illegal bank accounts and that they needed to transfer their funds, or by offering low-interest refinancing loans.
During their impersonation, they presented forged official identification and false documents detailing case summaries to avoid raising suspicion among victims.
Police believe this organization is also linked to a previous case involving the impersonation of 'Prosecutor Kim Min-soo.' In that incident, on January 20, 2020, they allegedly tricked a job seeker in their 20s into withdrawing 4.2 million won by claiming they were involved in a large-scale financial scam.
It was later reported that the victim took their own life a few days after the incident.
A police official noted that there was no specific reason for choosing the alias 'Kim Min-soo.'
Regarding A, the official stated, 'He partially admitted to his involvement in the crimes but denied being the leader, showing little remorse.'
Police are currently seeking 33 accomplices believed to have fled abroad, requesting Interpol red notices and extradition.
Authorities plan to further investigate the specific roles of the arrested suspects and the scale of the criminal proceeds while continuing to track down the fugitives.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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