A Young Man's Regret After Serving Time for Voice Phishing

Last week, I completed a three-year prison sentence and was released. I was a 'collector' for a voice phishing scheme." This is not the tragic story of a victim of voice phishing, but rather the account of a young man in his twenties who unwittingly became a perpetrator. Struggling with financial difficulties, Mr. A got involved in voice phishing in early 2022. His role was to meet victims and collect money directly, and he initially had no idea it was part of a scam. It wasn't until he had repeated this process several times that he realized, 'I am part of a voice phishing operation.' Just four months after starting, he was caught by the police and charged with fraud and forgery of official documents.

"I know everyone will criticize me," he said, showing no desire for sympathy. Perhaps it was a sign of remorse? He agreed to speak with a reporter, revealing previously unknown details about the inner workings of voice phishing crimes. "I apologize to the victims, both now and for the rest of my life. I want to tell those who are currently involved or might get involved not to end up like me."

In early 2022, while searching for part-time work on a job platform, Mr. A came across a high-paying job listing for construction site labor. He quickly applied and soon received a message via KakaoTalk informing him of his acceptance after a non-face-to-face interview. During the job assignment process, he felt reassured by the employer, who promised to accommodate his concerns about his back issues by allowing him to collect money at various locations. His final task was to meet designated individuals and collect the money they provided.

Mr. A admitted, "I wasn't cautious enough, but I felt desperate to make a living, thinking, 'This is strange, but I have to do this.'" Ultimately, he decided to take on the job of collecting money, which involved meeting people to receive cash and either handing it over to a colleague or depositing it at specific ATMs. This was typical work for a voice phishing collector or courier.

According to Mr. A, the structure of a voice phishing organization is divided into three levels: the 'upper level' (or mastermind), the 'intermediate level,' and the 'lower level' (or collectors). The upper level refers to masterminds located overseas, such as in China, while the intermediate level includes those commonly known as call center employees. The lowest level includes collectors like Mr. A, as well as cash withdrawers and couriers. Collectors meet victims directly to receive cash, which is then deposited into accounts designated by the upper level. Mr. A explained, "If I received money in Yeouido and another collector was in Jongno, I would go to Jongno to deliver it." The cash withdrawers take money directly from victims' accounts when they send money, while couriers pass cash from one colleague to another.

"The income is about 2% of the victim's amount," he stated. During the criminal process, transportation costs like taxi fares are covered by the upper level. Mr. A revealed, "They instructed us to always take taxis to avoid leaving a record. I even traveled from Seoul to Gangneung for collections."

Interestingly, the upper level sometimes monitors each collector systematically. One day, after a cash collection appointment with a victim was delayed for several hours, Mr. A stopped for lunch at a restaurant. As his food arrived, he received a Telegram message from the upper level instructing him to hurry because the victim had arrived. Just as he was about to take another bite, another message came through: "Mr. A, put down your food right now." He recalled, "At that moment, I was certain someone was watching me."

Mr. A stated that the organization even sent him photos of himself entering his home after work and followed him in another taxi while he was on the job. He speculated, "They might have been worried I would go to the police to report them."

Once the collected cash was deposited into the designated account or handed over to another courier, the collector's role was complete. Mr. A mentioned that he would take a profit of about 2-4% from the total amount collected, sending the rest via ATM or to a colleague. He explained, "If the victim's amount was 100 million won, I would keep 2 million won from the cash received and send the rest. In total, I collected about 280 million won over 17 instances, earning 8 million won in profit."

However, Mr. A never met any members of the upper or intermediate levels. As a lower-level collector, he only encountered others in similar roles a few times. All communication was conducted primarily through Telegram, with instructions occasionally given via Telegram calls.

About four months into his work, Mr. A received a call from a police station in Seoul regarding fraud charges. Soon after, he began receiving calls from various police stations in the metropolitan area. Surprisingly, the upper level's response was to reassure him. When he explained the situation, they told him, "Don't worry. Just get rid of your phone and hang in there. We'll take care of it, so don't worry." This was the last message he exchanged with someone from the upper level.

Mr. A described himself as being in a "mentally unstable state" at that time. It was then that he decided to stop participating in voice phishing. No further orders came from the upper level. He said, "From that point on, I felt I should quit, and I didn't do it for about 2-3 weeks." Eventually, he even contemplated suicide before being arrested shortly after. His criminal activities came to an end, and he faced legal consequences.

"People often think that those who commit crimes are bad, but that the victims are foolish or careless. That's absolutely not true. They can't help but fall victim," he stated, disagreeing with the negative perception of voice phishing victims. He particularly pointed out the issue of phone hacking. "They say to prevent and prepare, but nowadays, if your phone is hacked, even if you call 112 or the prosecutor's office, you get connected to them. Sometimes, viruses are embedded when you try to install an app, making it impossible to avoid. Technology is advancing, and this organization is not falling behind in that regard."

Mr. A also mentioned cases of loan scams, where scammers lure victims with promises of lower interest rates than regular banks. He recalled the victims he encountered as "people who were genuinely trying hard to live." Victims, deceived in various ways, would either send cash directly or hand envelopes to collectors. Ultimately, the prosecution sought a seven-year prison sentence for Mr. A, but he was sentenced to three years.

He repeatedly expressed his remorse whenever the victims were mentioned, saying, "I'm sorry. I committed an unforgivable wrong against them, and I will spend my life reflecting to ensure this never happens again." When asked if he had any words for those currently involved in voice phishing, he calmly replied, "If you suspect what you're doing is wrong, you should turn yourself in."

"If you have any doubts about what you're doing, I believe it's best to go to the police station and confess. If you feel even slightly involved, confessing will likely result in a lighter sentence. And it's best not to say things like 'I didn't know' or 'It's unfair.'" When asked about the masterminds believed to be operating outside the country, Mr. A's voice grew louder. He closed his eyes for a moment and said, "What you sow, you will reap. Eventually, you will get what you deserve." He added, "The dirty money you earn disappears quickly. Keep living like that, and one day, it will catch up to you. That's all I have to say."

According to recent statistics released by the National Police Agency, there were a total of 5,878 voice phishing incidents reported in the first quarter of this year. This averages to about 49 cases per day, marking a 17% increase compared to the same period last year. The average amount lost per victim exceeds 30 million won. Even now, various voice phishing perpetrators are operating across the country, and the masterminds who command and control them are still out there. However, eradicating these masterminds seems like a distant goal.