Busan criminal lawyer "Voice phishing exploiting COVID-19 is extreme... Defendant acquitted of charges of aiding and abetting fraud"

As economic crimes such as voice phishing and fraud have recently increased taking advantage of the social chaos caused by COVID-19, the Financial Supervisory Service issued a consumer warning 'caution' on the 8th.

According to the legal community, voice phishing organizations are approaching people with pretexts such as ‘Low-interest non-face-to-face loans are available’, ‘Enter your account number and password to receive emergency disaster relief funds’, and ‘Your account is being used as a cannon account and a phone investigation is required’, leading people to install remote control apps and accessing mobile banking to extort balances. In particular, methods are becoming more sophisticated by the day, such as using account information for new voice phishing methods to make victims participate in crimes.

Voice phishing is classified as a serious crime that causes great social and economic damage, and punishment standards are strict. Those who lead the crime can be sentenced to 10 years in prison, intermediate participants such as call center managers can be sentenced to 7 years in prison, and simple participants such as bank account recruiters, profit distributors, and withdrawers can be sentenced to 5 years in prison, and aggravated punishment is also possible. In the case of simple participants, there are cases where they are both perpetrators and victims.

According to a criminal lawyer at Daeryun Law Firm, “Voice phishing is a clear case of fraud, and the method and severity of it are widely known, but when an individual receives a voice phishing text message, in most cases, they do not suspect a crime,” and added, “In addition to financial damage, there are also cases where they are framed as participants in voice phishing due to exposure of bank account or personal transaction information.”

In a similar case, “There was a case where a client who received a text message from a person who introduced himself as a loan officer at a bank saying that a non-face-to-face loan at a low interest rate was possible provided a check card and password in his name to a quick service, and his bank account was suspended.” He added, “The client was investigated by the police on suspicion of aiding and abetting fraud, but with the help of a criminal lawyer, the client claimed innocence, and the case was concluded with a non-indictment without charges.” explained.

A criminal lawyer said, "When you are accused of participating in voice phishing, as in this case, investigative agencies often give unfavorable answers to you due to the embarrassment of being involved in the case. Since the initial response often leads to a judgment, it is necessary to find a professional lawyer who can provide legal assistance related to voice phishing if you find yourself in a related situation." He added, "Before indictment, we look at the legitimacy of the charge, its establishment requirements, and whether they are met to secure the motive for participation and the surrounding circumstances in a favorable direction to avoid excessive or unfair punishment. “That’s important,” he advised.

Daeryun Law Firm is a network corporation with offices in Seoul, Busan, Daegu, Incheon, Gwangju, Daejeon, Ulsan, Suwon, Changwon, Cheongju, Jeonju, Uijeongbu, Chuncheon, Jinju, and Jeju. It provides criminal legal services for economic crimes (voice phishing, fraud, embezzlement, breach of trust, etc.) and violent crimes (sex crimes, theft, robbery, violence, murder, etc.).

Reporter Lim So-ra mail00@asiae.co.kr

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