Police Seize 5,000+ '010 Number Spoofing' Relays, Arrest 54 in Collaboration with KT

The police announced on June 18 that they have seized over 5,000 call-spoofing relays used for voice phishing and other crimes, and have arrested 54 individuals in collaboration with KT.

A spoofing relay is a device that manipulates overseas caller IDs to appear as domestic '010' phone numbers.

Voice phishing organizations typically install these devices in locations such as motels and officetels (studio apartments) across the country to serve as relay stations.

Based on their collaboration with KT, the police conducted a crackdown, seizing 5,580 such spoofing relays and apprehending 84 individuals responsible for their installation and management, 54 of whom were arrested.

By utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) technology independently developed by KT, the authorities analyzed signs of phishing attempts in advance to identify suspicious lines. Based on this, the police conducted a nationwide intensive investigation, uncovering 115 illegal relay stations.

The National Police Agency reported that with the large-scale removal of these spoofing devices, damages from voice phishing and "no-show fraud" in May decreased by 19% and 24%, respectively, compared to the previous month.

Spoofing relays are often installed under the guise of high-paying part-time jobs.

Criminals lure ordinary citizens into the crime by offering money in exchange for simply installing the relay devices.

The police advised, "Accepting an offer to install or manage these relays can lead to punishment not only for violating the Telecommunications Business Act but also as an accomplice to voice phishing," adding, "If you receive such an offer, please report it to the police immediately."

The police have been cooperating in various ways to prevent scam crimes, including establishing a system with KT in January of this year to detect and block suspicious phishing numbers using AI.

Oh Chang-bae, head of the Telecommunications Financial Fraud Integrated Response Team at the National Police Agency, stated, "We will continue to strengthen our cooperation with telecommunications companies to swiftly detect and crack down on illegal relay stations to prevent further damage."

Jeong Seon-il, Senior Vice President of KT's Network Operations Innovation Division, also said, "We will continue to work closely with the National Police Agency by leveraging AI technology to prevent customer harm, and we will take the lead in protecting customers and creating a safe communication environment against increasingly sophisticated phishing crimes."

(Photo: Yonhap News TV, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.