[Beyond Post Reporter Kim Hyeong-un] Recently, as the number of fraud victims due to voice phishing has increased, public opinion demanding strong punishment is growing. However, due to the difficulty of investigative agencies in apprehending the person in charge of voice phishing who led the crime, there are not many cases where effective and severe punishment is carried out.
Voice phishing refers to a crime that uses electronic communication methods such as mobile phones to deceive or threaten others into sending or transferring funds or obtaining personal information. Recently, as phishing techniques have evolved, there have been many cases where part-time workers who are lured with high-paying part-time jobs as bait are used as transfer or collection methods to avoid being investigated, and there are also many cases where bank accounts are transferred or rented without knowing that it is voice phishing after falling for a large reward amount.
In reality, voice phishing organizations operate in the form of branch organizations, and most manager-level organization members, such as the head of the organization, have fled abroad or only give instructions from abroad from the beginning. Therefore, most of those punished for voice phishing in Korea are part-time workers or housewives who unknowingly participate in the crime.
These voice phishing gang members attract people by posting part-time job announcements with large incentives on internet job search sites or communities, using simple methods such as cash collection schemes to attract people.
If you are charged with aiding and abetting voice phishing fraud while acting as a cash transfer agent, you cannot avoid criminal liability simply because you did not know it was voice phishing. In addition, it is especially difficult to clear the suspicion when it is clear that a large amount of salary was paid in return for work.
According to the Criminal Act, if you participate in a voice phishing crime and are found guilty of fraud, you will be subject to imprisonment for up to 10 years or a fine of up to 20 million won. Not only simple participants but also attempted criminals can be punished. Considering the negative social impact and damage, the rate of detention and investigation is high, and it often leads to a prison sentence in court.
Lawyer Jang Eun-min of Daeryun Law Firm advised, “As the key point is to determine whether the crime of aiding and abetting fraud is established for a simple participant who is booked on suspicion of being a conveyancer or a collector, it is advisable to seek legal assistance from a criminal lawyer from the beginning of the case process to determine what is necessary to be acquitted or acquitted rather than simply maintaining the position of ‘it is unfair’ or ‘I did not know’.”
View full article - What to do if you are unfairly involved in voice phishing
