Voice phishing, loan scams and lending your bank account: how not to be tricked

Common tricks used against migrant workers

1. Calls from fake immigration officers or police They say: "There is a problem with your visa." "A criminal bank account was opened in your name." "Move your money to a safe account for the investigation." "If you tell anyone, you will be deported." All of this is a lie. Real government officials do not ask for money over the phone.
2. Brokers who say "I will fix your visa problem" They take a fee first and then disappear. You can check your stay or job problems for free at 1345 or at 고용센터 (Employment Center).
3. Loan arrangement fees They say: "I will change your loan to a lower interest rate." "First send money for guarantee insurance, a computer processing fee, or a fee to raise your credit score." Real banks and finance companies never take money from you before they give you a loan.
4. Requests to transfer money for someone They say: "My account is blocked. Receive money in your account and send it on for me. I will pay you for it." This is money laundering (hiding money from crime). The person who moves the money can also be investigated and punished.
5. Delivery or text message links (smishing) They send a link with messages like "Your address is wrong," "Notice of a traffic fine," or "Your holiday gift has arrived." If you click it, a harmful app is installed.
6. Requests to install a remote control app They say you need a remote control app for counseling. If you install it, the other person can control your phone. Never install it.
7. Fake job ads They say "I will introduce you to a good company" and ask for an introduction fee or a deposit first. Under the Employment Permit System, changing your workplace is done through 고용센터. There is no reason to pay a broker.

If you lend your bank account or SIM card, you will be punished

If you lend your bankbook or SIM card because you need money, you will be investigated as a criminal, not as a victim.

• Selling or lending your bankbook, cash card, password or certificate (access tools) breaks the Electronic Financial Transactions Act, Article 6(3). The punishment is up to 5 years in prison or a fine of up to 30 million won.
• Giving someone a mobile phone or SIM card opened in your name also breaks the Telecommunications Business Act. If you give it for someone else's use, the punishment is up to 1 year in prison or a fine of up to 50 million won. If you take money to open a phone in your name for someone else (대포폰, borrowed-name phone) or arrange this, the punishment is up to 3 years in prison or a fine of up to 100 million won.
• On top of this, your bank use can be stopped. A criminal record can also count against you when you extend your stay or apply for E-7-4.
• Do not send a photo of your 외국인등록증 (Alien Registration Card), your passport or a copy of your bankbook to just anyone. Someone could open bank accounts and phones in your name.

What to do right away if you were scammed

Do these steps in order. Time is the most important thing.

1. Ask for 지급정지 (payment suspension): Call 112 (police) or the call center of the bank you sent the money from right away. You can also get help from 1332 (금융감독원). The account must be blocked before the scammer takes out the money. Only then can you get it back.
2. Deal with your phone: If you think a harmful app is on your phone, reset the phone or delete the app. Until you reset it, turn the phone off or put it in airplane mode.
3. Check all your bank accounts: At the Korea Financial Telecommunications and Clearings Institute's Account Information Management Service (www.payinfo.or.kr), you can see all accounts in your name at once and ask for payment suspension.
4. Register that your personal information was exposed: If you register on 금융감독원's personal information exposure accident prevention system (pd.fss.or.kr), new accounts cannot easily be opened in your name.
5. Check if your name was stolen: At www.msafer.or.kr, check if any mobile phones were opened in your name.
6. Go to a police station: Get a 사건사고사실확인원 (Certificate of Incident Report) at the police station.
7. Apply for damage relief: Apply for damage relief in writing at a branch of the bank where you asked for payment suspension. You must apply within 3 business days from the day you asked for payment suspension.

How to get your money back

This process follows the 통신사기피해환급법 (Special Act on Telecommunications Financial Fraud Refunds).

1. If the bank thinks an account is a scam account, it does a 지급정지 (payment suspension).
2. The victim applies for damage relief.
3. 금융감독원 publicly announces the start of the process to cancel the account holder's claim to the money.
4. If the scammer's side does not object within 2 months after the announcement, they lose their right to the money in that account.
5. 금융감독원 decides the refund amount, and the bank gives the money back to the victim.

Be careful. You can get money back only if money is still in the account. If the money was already taken out, it is hard to get a refund. This is why step 1, payment suspension, is the most important.

Even if you did not apply before the announcement, you can still apply for damage relief at the bank within 2 months from the announcement date.

5 rules to protect yourself

1. If a call or text comes from a number you do not know, hang up. Then call back using an official number you know. Scammers can easily fake the caller's number.
2. Do not click links in text messages. Install apps only from Google Play Store or App Store. Never install a remote control app, for any reason.
3. Do not lend your bankbook, card, password, SIM card or ID, not even to family.
4. Any loan that asks you to send money first is a scam. If someone tells you to go to an ATM (cash machine), that is also always a scam.
5. Before you decide, ask one person. 1345, 1332, the person in charge at your company, or a friend you trust. Anyone is fine. Scammers always say "right now" and "do not tell anyone." If you hear these words, it is a scam.

Things to be careful about

• Sometimes scammers already know your name, your company name and your visa type when they call. Just because they know your information does not mean they are real.
• A call in Nepali or your own language can also be a scam. Do not trust someone just because they are from your country.
• Private deals on Facebook or TikTok groups that say "I will send your money home at a good exchange rate" are dangerous. Use an officially registered money transfer company.
• People with a problem with their visa status can also report crimes against them. But whether a voice phishing report is excluded from the duty to inform immigration can be different in each case. (Official confirmation needed) Before you report, ask 1345 or 대한법률구조공단 (Korea Legal Aid Corporation) at 132 first.
• If you already lent your bank account, do not hide it. It is better to tell the police right away. The later it is found out, the worse it is for you.

What to prepare

• Records of the money you sent (screenshots from your bank app, transfer receipts)
• Call records, screenshots of text messages and KakaoTalk messages, the other person's phone number and bank account number
• Your passport and 외국인등록증
• The 사건사고사실확인원 you got at the police station

Frequently asked questions

Q. I cannot speak Korean. Can I still report to 112? A. 112 is free and open 24 hours. If Korean is hard for you, ask for an interpreter. On weekdays from 09:00 to 22:00, you can call 1345 and report with a three-way call interpreter. If you need an interpreter at any hour, you can also call Danuri Call Center at 1577-1366 (13 languages, including Nepali).

Q. What is 1332? A. It is the call center of 금융감독원. Dial 1332 without an area code. Press 0 for voice phishing counseling and reports, 3 for reporting illegal private lending, and 8 for financial counseling for foreigners. The menu numbers can change, so listen to the voice guide. Phone counseling is available on weekdays from 09:00 to 18:00.

Q. Can I report online? A. Yes. You can report online at the Korean National Police Agency's Cyber Crime Reporting System (ecrm.police.go.kr). But if you just sent money, first call 112 or your bank and ask for payment suspension.

Q. A friend says, "Please lend me your bankbook for just a few days." A. Say no. Even between friends, you can be punished. This is true even if you got nothing in return.

Q. Can I get all my money back? A. You get money back only up to the amount that is still in the account. If the money was already taken out, it is hard. This is why asking for payment suspension within a few minutes is the most important thing.

Where to get help

Organization	Phone / website	What they do
Police	112	24 hours, payment suspension and crime reports
금융감독원 (Financial Supervisory Service)	1332	Voice phishing (0), illegal private lending (3), counseling for foreigners (8). Weekdays 09:00 to 18:00
Immigration Contact Center	1345	20 languages, three-way call interpreting. Weekdays 09:00 to 22:00
Danuri Call Center	1577-1366	24 hours, 13 languages (including Nepali)
대한법률구조공단 (Korea Legal Aid Corporation)	132	Free legal counseling
Korean National Police Agency ECRM	ecrm.police.go.kr	Online cyber crime reports
금융감독원 Voice Phishing Guard	fss.or.kr	Information on what to do after a scam and how to prevent scams