Extorted 120 billion won by impersonating prosecutors... Voice phishing gang member sentenced to 17 years in prison

Members of an organization that committed voice phishing crimes by impersonating prosecutors and the Financial Supervisory Service were handed over to trial and sentenced to heavy sentences.

According to the legal community on the 15th, the 1st Criminal Division of the Cheonan Branch of the Daejeon District Court sentenced Mr.

Three members of the organization were sentenced to 14 years in prison and ordered to collect 1.35 billion won.

Mr. A and others have been active as members of an overseas voice phishing organization since 2017, and are accused of swindling a total of 120 billion won from over 1,800 victims, including Mr. B.

It was revealed that they acted in a variety of roles, from operators who recruit cash collectors within the organization and instruct them to commit crimes, to call center counselors impersonating prosecutors, the Financial Supervisory Service, etc.

It was confirmed that the organization was operated by distributing criminal proceeds earned through criminal group activities to its members according to their performance and contribution.

Victims including Mr. B submitted a petition demanding severe punishment for the defendants.

The court sentenced Mr. A and the gang members to heavy sentences.

The court said, "The scale of damage caused by the crime in this case is enormous. Additionally, no damage has been recovered at all to date, and it is difficult to expect recovery in the future," and added, "A heavy punishment commensurate with the guilt is inevitable."

Attorney Dae-som Yoon of Daeryun Law Firm, who represented victim B, pointed out, "The defendants thoroughly divided their roles to carry out the voice phishing crime organically. Based on the victims' database, they impersonated prosecutors and investigators and committed the crime in such a clever way that they had no choice but to deliver the money." He added, "Some of the defendants were active for more than six years, and these organizations created thousands of victims over a long period of time."

At the same time, he said, "The victims, including Mr. B, are spending days of self-blame and regret due to their crimes," and "The fact that they continued to operate without a sense of guilt and that no effort was made to recover the damage suffered by the victims was accepted by the court and resulted in a heavy sentence."
 

Reporter Ko Young-min (youngman@ikbc.co.kr)

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Extortion of KRW 120 billion by impersonating prosecutors... Voice phishing gang member sentenced to 17 years in prison (go)