▲ Voice phishing (File Photo: Yonhap News)
A branch manager of a credit union in Dangjin, South Chungcheong Province, has successfully prevented a voice phishing scam worth over 200 million won through quick thinking.
Jeon Mi-ae, manager of the Hapdeok branch of Seohae Jungang Credit Union, grew suspicious on June 24 when a member in his 70s, identified as A, visited the branch appearing unusually anxious.
A was rushing to be issued an OTP card without providing a specific reason. He was holding a deposit slip worth 198 million won that he had just withdrawn from a nearby livestock cooperative.
Manager Jeon repeatedly tried to persuade A to open up, and while helping him install a mobile app, she discovered call logs from numbers impersonating the Financial Supervisory Service and other institutions.
After installing a security app to check the device, she confirmed that A's smartphone was already being remotely controlled.
Police investigation revealed that A had been deceived by a group of scammers impersonating employees from the post office, credit card companies, the prosecution, and the Financial Supervisory Service. He was in the process of withdrawing his entire savings of 230 million won to transfer them to a new credit union account.
The scammers had threatened A, claiming he was involved in a financial fraud case worth 5 billion won and was at risk of punishment, and that he needed to temporarily transfer his assets to the state.
It was also revealed that the scammers had given him specific instructions, such as not to inform his children and to go to a credit union where he had no prior transaction history to open a new account.
Regarding the situation, Manager Jeon stated that because she had known the senior citizen for a long time, she was able to pay close attention to his uncharacteristic behavior.
A expressed his gratitude, saying he never imagined he would experience something he had only seen on the news.
The Dangjin Police Station in South Chungcheong Province awarded a certificate of appreciation to Manager Jeon for protecting the customer's assets.
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