‘Earn $8,900 a month’: Overseas job scams lure young Koreans into phishing crimes
A reconstructed Telegram conversation between the recruiter and the reporter. Graphic by Park Jong-beom
A growing number of online job posts promising “high-paying overseas part-time work” are turning out to be traps to lure young Koreans into organized voice phishing crimes abroad.
Despite repeated warnings following the death of a Korean college student in Cambodia in August, social media remains flooded with ads offering “luxury housing,” “free airfare” and salaries reaching “$8,900 a month.”
When this reporter contacted one such Telegram recruiter posing as a hiring manager, a reply came within five minutes. The recruiter said the position involved impersonating prosecutors in voice phishing operations and claimed workers could earn up to 10 million won ($7,200) per week.
He openly acknowledged the work was illegal, saying, “Maybe you already guessed — this isn’t legal work,” while insisting that “security and safety are top priorities” and that “working overseas is necessary for protection.”
Luring job seekers with ‘safe work environment’
The supposed “employers” often promise a comfortable lifestyle in Southeast Asia to lure desperate job seekers. In conversations with three different recruiters, all admitted their operations were illegal but described them as “safe and profitable,” urging applicants to work in Cambodia, Thailand or Vietnam.
When concerns about safety were raised, recruiters were quick to reassure. A Bangkok-based manager said, “In Cambodia, Koreans are kidnapped to create fake bank accounts, but Thailand is much safer,” adding that “two ethnic Korean-Chinese supervisors and 15 Korean employees work together like family.”
Another recruiter in Vietnam told the reporter, “If the job doesn’t suit you, you can always return home. We never do anything cruel.”
A Phnom Penh recruiter even offered to “relocate you to another region” for safety.
To proceed with interviews, the recruiters demanded extensive personal information, including passport copies, health insurance records and identification photos. “Please take a picture holding your ID card in your right hand with your face clearly visible,” one recruiter said.
While some victims who traveled abroad claimed they were duped by false promises of legitimate work, others were aware of the jobs being criminal in nature. Every recruiter contacted by this reporter admitted early in the conversation that they were part of voice phishing organizations.
A building in Sihanoukville, Cambodia, suspected to be part of a criminal compound, is seen on Tuesday. Yonhap
Weak monitoring fuels more victims
Police have pledged to strengthen surveillance of recruitment platforms and block suspicious accounts, but similar ads continue to circulate online.
Many are worded to sound legitimate, assuring applicants that “no Chinese nationals are involved — all staff are Korean,” that the “environment is safe and free from violence or confinement,” and that “employees can use their phones and go out freely after work hours.”
Experts say that poor job prospects for young Koreans and the lack of effective monitoring of online recruitment have created a breeding ground for these scams.
“People need to realize that chasing unrealistic profits can lead to crime or becoming a victim of one,” said Lee Byoung-hoon, Professor Emeritus of sociology at Chung-Ang University. “The government must establish institutional safeguards to block access by criminal groups.”
Lee Woong-hyuk, professor of police studies at Konkuk University, echoed the call for action. “Authorities should expand investigations into illegal overseas job ads and dismantle the organizations behind them to sever the channels leading to crime,” he said.
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.