Lee Hae-rin is a City Desk reporter at The Korea Times, covering social issues, tourism and taekwondo. She is passionate about speaking up for the rights of minorities, including women, LGBTQ+, people with disabilities and animals as well as discovering the latest makgeolli trend in town. Feel free to reach her at lhr@koreatimes.co.kr.
Cambodia-based voice phishing ring caught by Korean investigation team
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By Lee Hae-rin
A Cambodia-based voice phishing syndicate operating under the alias “Ma Dong-seok” was brought down by Korea’s government-led joint investigation team, authorities announced Friday.
The phishing group operated like a corporation, with specialized teams assigned to distinct criminal schemes, targeting vulnerable young Koreans with promises of high-paying jobs overseas.
The Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors’ Office revealed that 18 members of the so-called “Hanya call center" organization have been arrested on charges of participating in and operating a criminal syndicate. Sixteen of them, all in their 20s and 30s, have been indicted and will stand trial.
Investigators are continuing to pursue key Korean members of the organization as well as the ringleader, who is of non-Korean nationality and operates the organization under the nickname Ma Dong-seok, based on the Korean-American actor.
Investigators revealed the group, operating in Cambodia, built a corporate-style structure with seven specialized teams, each executing a distinct type of scam under the ringleader’s financial backing.
These included a “prosecutor team” impersonating law enforcement and financial officials; a “hacking team” distributing malicious programs; a “sextortion team” blackmailing targets with sexually explicit videos; a “romance team” luring victims into fake relationships; a “stock tips team"; a “shopping scam team”; and a “crypto team” running bogus digital asset investment schemes. Additionally, a “transfer team” focused on money laundering and a “recruitment team” sourced staff.
Korean investigators identified the romance team as the syndicate’s core operation. Team members impersonated sex workers on fabricated websites, duping 11 victims out of a combined 527 million ($380,000) from October 2024 through April this year by demanding payments for sex trafficking and identification procedures.
The group, which targeted victims through online, contact-free schemes, frequently shifted its base inside Cambodia to evade detection. The group aggressively recruited and preyed on young Koreans seeking employment, luring them with promises of fast profits.
Team leaders went by code names drawn from Korean history and literature — such as Shin Saimdang, Heo Jun and Yu Gwan-sun. The use of these names was devised for anonymity and hierarchy, according to investigators.
The investigation started with a tip from the National Intelligence Service’s International Crime Center.
Authorities estimate the full scope of the organization could be double the current figure of 48 Korean managers and consulting agents, considering many participants potentially still remain overseas.
Since its launch on July 29, 2022, the joint task force has booked voice phishing suspects and arrested 345 suspects in and outside the country. The group will “ensure every participant, regardless of their role or involvement, period, is held accountable.”
Hong Wan-hee, chief prosecutor, called for stronger international cooperation, including passport nullification and extraditions.
“Individual efforts by separate agencies have limits — collaboration between prosecutors, police, financial watchdogs and tax authorities is essential to effectively counter voice phishing,” Hong said.