Listeners:
Top listeners:
Revolution Radio Your home for the best variety of Christian music
Heartland Newsfeed Radio Network Heartland Newsfeed Radio Network
Heartland Newsfeed Radio Network (Abovecast Backup) Heartland Newsfeed Radio Network
Home For The Holidays Radio
Big Sports Radio (Weekend of February 15, 2025) Heartland Newsfeed
SEOUL (UPI) — South Korean police have arrested eight members of a voice-phishing crime ring based in China after the suspects were found to have used a North Korean malware-installing phone app.
Seoul’s national intelligence service and the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said Monday the malware was sent to more than 200 South Korean victims in the last six months. The suspects were able to steal more than $1.8 million, MBC and local news service Dailian reported.
The suspects were all identified as South Korean citizens in their 20s and 30s. Four of the accused were arrested in South Korea, after repatriating in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
The remaining four were arrested in Tianjin, China, in cooperation with Chinese authorities. The suspects based in China have not been extradited to Korea because of COVID-19, reports say.
South Korea police said a North Korean national developed the mobile app used to install malware. The North Korean suspect, who could be operating from China, has evaded arrest. The malware was used to steal personal information from victims including name, their resident registration number, phone number, and the status of any loans. Suspects also stole data on family members in users’ networks, according to reports.
The phone scammers often posed as employees of South Korean banks and insurance companies, then tricked them into transferring money to illicit accounts.
The arrests in South Korea could help local authorities track down more suspects in the crime ring, police said.
Fraudulent phone calls and text messages have been a persistent problem in Korea, where earlier this year President Moon Jae-in called for tougher measures against scams that target senior citizens and people with debt.
Criminals typically trick their victims into thinking they are in financial trouble, or that they are already targets of scams that the criminals can “resolve” for them if they follow instructions by phone, according to police.
Reporting by Elizabeth Shim
United Press International is an international news agency whose newswires, photo, news film, and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines and radio and television stations for most of the 20th century.
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Written by: United Press International
China COVID-19 MALWARE Moon Jae-in North Korea Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency South Korea world news
Daily deadlines
News and sports submissions: 11 p.m. Central
Advertising, legals, obituaries: 5 p.m. Central
Monday-Friday deadlines
Other business inquiries: 5 p.m. Central
Publication times
Late breaking news as it happens
Normal publication: 11 p.m. Central daily
Other news: Published as it’s made available
Some rights reserved 2017-2024 by Heartland Newsfeed, a Heartland Media Group of Central Illinois and Eastern Missouri media property. Content published by Heartland Newsfeed staff is covered by the BipCot NoGov license. This allows use and re-use by anyone except governments and government agents. License on record. Pro Radio theme designed and developed by Qantum Themes S.L.U.
Post comments (0)