Gang Arrested for Stealing 8.2 Million Personal Info Records Using AI, Demanding 360 Million Won

[Anchor]

A gang that hacked the systems of around 90 domestic companies using artificial intelligence to steal personal information has been caught by the police. They are understood to have leaked approximately 8.2 million personal information records and demanded 360 million won in extortion money from the victimized companies.

Reporter Cho Min-ki has the details.

[Reporter]

Police officers handcuff a man wearing a pulled-down hat.

This is footage capturing the arrest of a man in his 30s, identified by the surname A, who is the ringleader of a gang that leaked personal information and internal company data from about 90 companies over a one-year period starting in September of last year.

Suspect A is accused of breaking into domestic company systems using AI to leak more than 8.2 million personal information records, and then threatening the victimized companies to demand 360 million won.

The victims were mainly companies such as private academies, hospitals, and golf courses. Investigations revealed that A's gang demanded money by threatening that if the information leaks became public, the companies would suffer damaged corporate images and face administrative fines.

However, it was confirmed that only one company actually gave in to the extortion, handing over just 300,000 won.

Suspect A is not an IT major; he taught himself hacking techniques through blogs and other sources, and was found to have even used the AI autonomous penetration system that was used during a recent financial sector personal information leak.

This marks the first time in South Korea that suspects of large-scale hacking crimes using generative AI have been apprehended.

The police stated that they developed an internal AI analysis tool during the process of tracking down A's gang and utilized it in this investigation.

The police have apprehended a total of seven individuals, including A, and plan to further investigate additional charges regarding victimized companies that have not yet reported their cases.

A police official urged, "Even individuals who are not professional hacker organizations can carry out large-scale hacking with the help of AI," adding, "If you receive threats over the leakage of personal information, do not negotiate with the criminals and report it to the police immediately."

(Camera footage by Choi Dae-woong | Video editing by Yoon Tae-ho)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.