Missed call from an unknown Korean number — you can check it and call back safely

When does this apply

• When you get a missed call from an unknown 010 number or an area code number
• When you got a call saying "This is immigration" or "This is the police" and you are worried
• When an unknown number calls while you are waiting for a delivery or a hospital appointment
• When you are changing workplaces and waiting for a call from the 고용센터 (Job Center) or a new company

Guessing from the shape of the number

The shape of the number is only a guess. Scammers can fake the number shown on your screen. This is also true for office numbers like 02 and numbers starting with 13 (see "Be careful" below).

Shape of the number	What it is	Examples
010-0000-0000	Mobile phone	Delivery driver, someone from your company, landlord, friend
Area codes starting with 0, like 02, 031, 051, 053	Local landline phone	Hospital, company office, 고용센터, 출입국·외국인관서 (immigration office)
070	Internet phone	Companies, shops. Scam calls also use them
050	A number that hides the real number and connects you (personal number service)	Shops or drivers who hide their own number
1588, 1577, 1644, 1566, 1600, 1800, etc. with 4 digits after	Company main number	Banks, phone companies, delivery companies, insurance companies
4-digit numbers starting with 13 (1345, 1350, 1332, etc.)	Public office help and information numbers	Government and public bodies
+82 10…, +82 2…	A Korean number written in international format	+82 10 is the same as 010, and +82 2 is the same as 02. The call may also come from abroad
A country code other than +82	Foreign number	If it is not family or a friend, do not call back

List of area codes: Seoul 02, Gyeonggi 031, Incheon 032, Gangwon 033, Chungnam 041, Daejeon 042, Chungbuk 043, Sejong 044, Busan 051, Ulsan 052, Daegu 053, Gyeongbuk 054, Gyeongnam 055, Jeonnam 061, Gwangju 062, Jeonbuk 063, Jeju 064. If the number is from the area where your company or hospital is, the call likely came from there.

If you hear these words, hang up and check yourself

This is a scam. Hang up right away.

• "Send money," "Move your money to a safe account," "Pay the fine now to this account"
• When they ask you to say your account number, card number, password or verification code

The Financial Services Commission says: "If someone says they are from an investigation agency or a financial company and asks for information or money, it is 100% a scam."

This may be a scam. Do not follow them. Hang up and check yourself.

• "You are involved in a case," "Come to the prosecutors' office," "We need your personal information to confirm"
• "Install an app" or "Delete an app," "Click the link we sent by text message"
• When an automated voice call says "You did not submit your documents, so please visit. Press 1."

Real offices can also call about documents or visits. So do not ignore it — check yourself. Do not call the number they gave you on the phone. Call the office's main number that you found yourself. For immigration matters, check with your local 출입국·외국인관서 (the immigration office in charge of your area). If you do not know its number, you can ask 1345.

The information above is a summary of scam methods and safety rules announced by the Ministry of Justice and the Financial Services Commission. Scam methods and what to do if you lose money are explained in detail in Voice phishing, loan scams and account renting — how not to be fooled.

Steps

1. First check your text messages and KakaoTalk. Delivery companies, hospitals and companies often send a text message too. But do not click links in text messages.
2. Look at the shape of the number. Use the table above to see if it is a mobile phone, an area code number or a company main number.
3. Search the number on the internet. Type the number as it is into the search box. If the name of a company or hospital comes up, the number likely belongs to them. If there are many posts saying "scam" or "spam," do not call back.
4. If they say they are a government office, check using a number you found yourself. Do not call the number they gave you on the phone. For immigration matters, call your local 출입국·외국인관서. For other offices, call the main number on that office's website.
5. When you call back, let the other person speak first. Use the sentence cards below to ask "Who is this? What is it about?" Do not say your name or your 외국인등록번호 (foreign registration number) first.
6. If they talk about money or personal information, hang up. You can say "I will check myself and call you back," and then hang up.
7. Get important information by text message. For dates, places and tracking numbers, ask "Please send it by text message."

Korean sentence cards for calling back

Korean	Pronunciation (Roman letters)
여보세요. 이 번호로 전화가 와서 다시 걸었습니다.	yeoboseyo. i beonhoro jeonhwaga waseo dasi georeotseumnida.
어디세요? 무슨 일이세요?	eodiseyo? museun iriseyo?
한국어가 서툽니다. 천천히 말해 주세요.	hangugeoga seotumnida. cheoncheonhi malhae juseyo.
택배입니까? 언제 옵니까?	taekbaeimnikka? eonje omnikka?
문자로 보내 주세요.	munjaro bonae juseyo.
제가 직접 확인하고 다시 전화하겠습니다.	jega jikjeop hwaginhago dasi jeonhwahagetseumnida.

When Korean is difficult

• Calls from government offices (immigration, city hall or district office, 고용센터, etc.): You can ask 1345 for 3-way interpretation. It is open on weekdays 09:00~22:00, and Nepali is available until 18:00.
• Everyday calls like delivery, hospital or landlord: First ask the 1577-1366 Danuri Call Center. It is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and has Nepali.
• Calls about your company: You can ask the 1577-0071 Foreign Workers Counseling Center in Nepali. It is open 365 days a year, 09:00~18:00.
• There is also an AI service that makes calls for you ("받아요"), made by the same team that made Mitra Korea. What it can and cannot do is explained in the article below. Do not give a number that asked for money or a verification code to the AI either.

How to use interpretation and more sentences are in When it is hard to make a phone call in Korean. What to say first for each number is in When you don't know where to call.

What to prepare

• A screenshot of the missed call (number and time)
• Information about what you are waiting for: tracking number, hospital appointment date, company name
• Paper and a pen (to write down the person's name, company name and what you heard)

Be careful

• Even if a real office number shows on your screen, it may be a scam. In September 2025, the Ministry of Justice announced that there were scam calls faked to show official numbers of the Ministry of Justice and immigration offices (02-2110-…, 02-6908-1345, etc.) on the screen. It said that calls from the 1345 call center are not shown as 02-6908-1345.
• Calls from abroad are sometimes faked to look like Korean mobile phone numbers.
• The Ministry of Justice announced that the 출입국·외국인관서 does not use numbers starting with '000682' (2026-05-12). If an automated voice call comes from such a number, do not press any buttons. Check with your local 출입국·외국인관서.
• Not all 070 numbers are scams. Decide based on what the caller says, not the number.
• While you are changing workplaces, an unknown number may be the 고용센터 or a new company. Answer or call back so you do not miss it. See Job Center referrals and how to choose a company.
• You can report spam calls and text messages to the 한국인터넷진흥원 (Korea Internet & Security Agency) at 118.

Frequently asked questions

Q. It is an unknown number. Do I have to call back? A. You do not have to. If you are waiting for a call, such as a delivery, a hospital appointment or a workplace change, it is good to call back. When you call, let the other person say who they are first.

Q. I got a call saying "This is immigration. If you do not pay the fine, you will be deported." A. Hang up. If someone says they are the police, the prosecutors' office or immigration and tells you to send money over the phone, it is a scam. The Ministry of Justice has also warned many times about calls pretending to be immigration. If you are worried, check directly with your local 출입국·외국인관서. You can ask 1345 for its number.

Q. I already sent money. A. Right away call 112, 1332 (금융감독원, Financial Supervisory Service), or the call center of the bank you sent the money from, and ask for a payment suspension. The next steps are in the voice phishing article.

Q. Are numbers starting with 1588 safe? A. They are main numbers of companies like banks, phone companies and delivery companies. But if they ask for money or a verification code, hang up and check again using the number on that company's website.

Where to get help

Number	Organization	What they do
1345	Immigration Contact Center (외국인종합안내센터)	Information on stay and daily life, 3-way interpretation with offices. Weekdays 09:00~22:00 (Nepali until 18:00)
1577-1366	Danuri Call Center (다누리콜센터)	24 hours a day, 365 days a year, Nepali, 3-way interpretation
1577-0071	Foreign Workers Counseling Center (외국인력상담센터)	Company problems, Nepali. 365 days a year, 09:00~18:00
112	Police	Report scam damage, ask for payment suspension. 24 hours
1394	Korean National Police Agency Telecommunications Financial Fraud Response Team (경찰청 전기통신금융사기 통합대응단)	Help after voice phishing, report suspicious numbers. 24 hours
1332	금융감독원 (Financial Supervisory Service)	Payment suspension and help after losing money
118	한국인터넷진흥원 (Korea Internet & Security Agency)	Report spam calls and text messages