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'I could've lost all of my savings': Man narrowly avoids $72,000 voice phishing scam

Published: 26 Aug. 2025, 15:24 Updated: 26 Aug. 2025, 18:49

A police logo [YONHAP]

A man in his 30s nearly lost 100 million won ($72,000) in a voice phishing scam after withdrawing his savings and checking into a motel in Cheonan, South Chungcheong, but a police prevention poster alerted him to the scheme, authorities said Tuesday.

The man called the 112 police emergency line around 8 p.m. last Thursday and said, “I am staying in a motel under orders from a prosecutor, but I think this may be a voice phishing scam.”

Officers from the Cheonan Seobuk Police Station rushed to the scene and confirmed his situation. They stopped him from delivering cash and prevented further losses.

A scammer posing as a prosecutor told the man that his bank account was linked to a criminal case and threatened to arrest him if he did not comply to his commands. The scammer ordered him to withdraw his savings and wait in the motel for further instructions.

The scheme, known as “self-confinement voice phishing,” forces victims to isolate themselves in motels while scammers control them by phone and pressure them to hand over money.

Criminals often make victims empty their accounts and take out loans, then seize the funds. The isolation also makes it harder for police to track suspects and recover stolen money.

The man said he followed the scammers’ instructions because he feared arrest. When he saw the prevention notice in the motel elevator, which described a case almost identical to his own, he grew suspicious and called the police.

Police distributed prevention posters to motels across Seobuk District, Cheonan, earlier this year and placed them in elevators and other visible spots.

“I could have lost all of my savings,” the man said. “The prevention poster saved me, and I hope no one else falls victim.”

A police official said that police, prosecutors or Financial Supervisory Service employees never demand money or order anyone to stay in motels in the name of an investigation.

"We will keep posting notices and running campaigns to prevent such crimes," the official said.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JANG GU-SEUL [[email protected]]