A, a 44-year-old self-employed individual, left contact information on a loan advertising site and received a message via Telegram from B. B contacted A promising a loan with a low interest rate. However, there was a condition. A transaction history was required for the loan to be executed. B told A that if he first transferred money, he would be refunded before providing the loan amount. Consequently, A transferred 76 million won to B, who then absconded with A's money.
Voice phishing scams that defraud money by offering loans at low interest rates targeting self-employed individuals and the lower-income class are rampant. The Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) issued a consumer alert regarding loan-based voice phishing on the 21st. According to the FSS, 41.9% of all voice phishing victims in the first quarter of this year were affected by loan-based voice phishing.
Loan-based voice phishing lures victims by posting false lending advertisements on platforms like YouTube and Instagram. The scammers utilize keywords such as microfinance or low interest rates, or even impersonate policy lending products like Sunshine Loan. When someone wanting to borrow money leaves their contact information, a scammer posing as a financial company consultant approaches them. These scammers set financial company business cards as their social media profile pictures and meticulously forge loan documents to deceive victims. Subsequently, they extract money by demanding upfront payments for installing malicious apps or loan approvals.
The FSS emphasized that legitimate financial companies do not require the installation of specific apps during the loan process. They also stated that they do not demand upfront payments for loan approvals. In cases where someone has been deceived into transferring money due to voice phishing, they should contact the police or the financial company call center to request a payment freeze.