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Voice Phishing

⚖️ Law By CampusDown Wiki Editorial Team Last updated Views 18
Voice phishing is telecom fraud in which callers pose as prosecutors, banks or relatives to extract money or financial details.
Contents
  1. 1. Origins
  2. 2. Common scripts
  3. 3. Why smart people fall for it
  4. 4. First minutes after a scam
  5. 5. FAQ
  6. 6. References

Origins

The term blends 'voice,' 'private data' and 'fishing.' Korea saw its first big wave around 2006 with fake tax-refund calls run from overseas call centers using local cash mules and borrowed accounts (Cho, 2012). A 2011 law let victims freeze fraudster accounts immediately and recover remaining funds without a lawsuit. Even so, police counted ₩854.5 billion in losses in 2024, nearly double 2023 (PIPC, 2025). In the US the equivalent is often called vishing or government-impersonation scams.

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Common scripts

  • Fake prosecutor: 'Your identity was used in a crime; move funds to a safe account.'
  • Fake card delivery: a courier mentions a card you never ordered, then a 'help desk' installs a remote-control app (FSS, n.d.).
  • Loan bait: 'Repay your old loan first to get a lower rate.'
  • Family impersonation: 'Mom, my phone broke, text this number.'

Requests to move money into crypto such as Bitcoin are rising.

Why smart people fall for it

Strong fear or greed crowds out careful thinking (Langenderfer & Shimp, 2001). Scammers exploit authority, time pressure, distraction and greed (Stajano & Wilson, 2011), echoing Milgram's obedience studies and Cialdini's principles. Impulsivity and heavy online activity raise risk (Whitty, 2019).

First minutes after a scam

  1. Call 112 or the banks involved to freeze the receiving account.
  2. Get a police report within three days for the refund process.
  3. Remove remote-control apps and have the phone checked.
  4. Register exposed personal data with the FSS prevention system.

Lending your bank account to strangers is a crime, and cash couriers can be charged as accomplices in fraud.

FAQ

Would prosecutors ask me to move money by phone?
Never. Hang up immediately.
Can I get my money back?
If the account is frozen before withdrawal, remaining funds can be refunded; speed is everything.

Sources reviewed: 2026-11-02

References

  1. 국가법령정보센터. (n.d.). 전기통신금융사기 피해 방지 및 피해금 환급에 관한 특별법 제·개정 이유. Legislative reasons for Korea's 2011 telecom fraud refund act.
  2. 금융감독원. (n.d.). 보이스피싱 신종 수법 소비자경보 [보도자료]. FSS alert on the fake-card-delivery plus remote-app scheme.
  3. 개인정보보호위원회. (2025). 보이스피싱 피해 현황과 개인정보 보호 대책 [보도자료]. Recent loss statistics, including ₩854.5 billion in 2024.
  4. Cho, H.-D. (2012). Voice phishing occurrence and counterplan. Journal of the Korea Contents Association, 12(7), 176–182. Korean study of early voice phishing patterns and countermeasures.
  5. Langenderfer, J., & Shimp, T. A. (2001). Consumer vulnerability to scams, swindles, and fraud: A new theory of visceral influences on persuasion. Psychology & Marketing, 18(7), 763–783. Visceral emotions crowd out careful thinking.
  6. Stajano, F., & Wilson, P. (2011). Understanding scam victims: Seven principles for systems security. Communications of the ACM, 54(3), 70–75. Seven psychological principles scammers exploit.
  7. Whitty, M. T. (2019). Predicting susceptibility to cyber-fraud victimhood. Journal of Financial Crime, 26(1), 277–292. Which traits predict cyber-fraud victimization.

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Reports and materials that use this theory (Korean)

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Find more reports · Search '보이스피싱' on CampusDown →
Criminal fraud (South Korea)Fraud under South Korea's Criminal Act (Art. 347): its Roman and European roots, the four elements of deception, mistake, disposition, and gain, sentences and aggravated penalties for large sums, common scams (secondhand trades, voice phishing, jeonse fraud), and recovery options.⚖️ LawCialdini's principles of persuasionRobert Cialdini's six principles of influence from his 1984 book Influence—reciprocity, commitment and consistency, social proof, liking, authority, and scarcity—plus the seventh principle, unity (2016), the research behind them, and how to resist them.🧠 PsychologyMilgram ExperimentThe Milgram obedience experiment explained: how the shock study worked, why 65% went to 450 volts, which variations raised or cut obedience, the agentic state, Burger’s 2009 replication, ethical criticism and lessons for workplaces.🧠 PsychologyPersonal Information Protection Act (Korea)Korea's PIPA explained: its 2011 enactment, the 2014 credit-card data leak, the 2020 "three data laws" and the independent PIPC, the 2023 overhaul (fines up to 3% of total revenue, data portability, automated-decision rights), consent rules and individual rights.⚖️ LawStalking Punishment Act (Korea)Korea's Stalking Punishment Act took effect on 21 October 2021. See what counts as stalking, the 3- and 5-year penalty tiers, emergency and provisional no-contact orders, and practical reporting tips.⚖️ Law

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This article was last updated on November 2, 2026. It is based on widely recognized original works and textbooks; when citing it in a paper, please check the original sources listed in the references.