Police confirm over 70 cases of mobile payment fraud targeting KT users in greater Seoul
Published: 08 Sep. 2025, 17:59
Updated: 08 Sep. 2025, 18:12
![The KT logo is seen at the KT Square in central Seoul on April 9, 2019. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/09/08/be4762bf-70e1-44e3-a537-aa73c8705c11.jpg)
The KT logo is seen at the KT Square in central Seoul on April 9, 2019. [YONHAP]
The number of victims in a mobile payment fraud case targeting KT users in Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi and southern Seoul’s Geumcheon District has risen to more than 70, authorities said Monday.
The Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Precinct said that it has identified 74 victims of fraudulent mobile payment transactions — 61 cases under the jurisdiction of Gwangmyeong Police Precinct and 13 under Geumcheon Police Precinct. The losses amounted to 45.8 million won ($33,000), including 38 million won in Gwangmyeong and 7.8 million won in Geumcheon.
The agency’s cybercrime unit will merge the two investigations.
Police expand probe
All of the victims are KT subscribers living in Gwangmyeong’s Soha and Haan neighborhoods and in Geumcheon District. Some of the Gwangmyeong victims lived in the same apartment complex.
Between Aug. 27 and Saturday, mostly during early morning hours, hackers used victims’ phones to purchase mobile vouchers and transportation cards worth hundreds of thousands of won. Victims differed in age, phone models and service providers. Several told investigators they had not clicked on suspicious links or installed unknown apps.
Police have requested search warrants on related businesses and are considering multiple leads.
“This is the first time in Korea that micro-payment fraud has occurred simultaneously within specific areas and time periods," a police official said. "We expanded the task force to four teams [for a total of 25 officers], to pursue every possible lead.”
![The Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency's logo is seen in Suwon, Gyeonggi on Dec. 13, 2024. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/09/08/d80ec61f-70a4-4b12-9a4a-44f4e387900f.jpg)
The Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency's logo is seen in Suwon, Gyeonggi on Dec. 13, 2024. [YONHAP]
Other investigations underway
Gyeonggi police also reported progress in an investigation into overseas travel expense irregularities by Pyeongtaek and Hanam legislatures.
Police referred 11 city council members, four civil servants and two travel agency employees in Pyeongtaek to prosecutors on charges including illegal donations. In Hanam, one civil servant and one travel agency worker were sent to prosecutors on fraud charges, though council members there were not indicted.
Investigations into councils in Yongin, Yangpyeong, Icheon, Gimpo and Yeoju were closed due to lack of evidence. Cases involving 12 other local councils, including the Gyeonggi-do Assembly, are ongoing.
The regional investigation unit's anticorruption and economic crime division also took over seven complaints filed by the Ministry of Justice and civic groups involving former President Yoon Suk Yeol. The cases include allegations that Yoon received preferential treatment while detained at Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, Gyeonggi.
Former presidential secretary Kang Eui-gu allegedly brought a cell phone into a restricted area without authorization. The detention center also allegedly failed to cooperate when a special counsel team attempted to execute an arrest warrant against Yoon and denied an opposition party’s request to review CCTV footage.
"The agency requested records from the Justice Ministry and other bodies," a police official said.
The official also confirmed that six complaints filed by civic groups against former warden Kim Hyun-woo have also been transferred.
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 CHOI MO-RAN [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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