InterviewCitibank Korea employees honored for preventing voice phishing scam

Lee Jeong-min, second from left, a teller at Citibank Korea's Incheon branch, and Yang Eun-ah, center, the branch's operation manager, pose with their head manager Lee Sung-mo, left, and two Incheon police officers, July 10, as they are honored for playing a central role in preventing a voice phishing scam, June 30. Courtesy of Citibank Korea

The recent arrest of a suspect in a voice phishing scam at a Citibank Korea branch in Incheon demonstrates countless days of effort by two of its employees, Lee Jeong-min and Yang Eun-ah, to prevent financial crimes.

The two are among the branch’s 32 employees, who are especially alert to risks of voice phishing scams as many of the branch’s customers are seniors — a group frequently targeted for financial fraud.

All 32 have participated in regular simulated training while prioritizing teamwork to better respond to financial crimes.

Lee and Yang were honored by the police on July 10 for playing a central role in the arrest of a suspect in a voice phishing scam.

“I am proud of preventing major financial damage, after keeping in mind that I am responsible for not only handling customers’ money but also for being the last line of defense for customers,” Lee said in a phone interview with The Korea Times this week.

She was the first to deal with the suspect, who, as a “cash mule,” attempted to withdraw 16.4 million won ($11,810) in cash through a rarely used account on June 30.

Despite having only one and a half years of experience, Lee was well-trained to notice common behavioral traits of suspected scammers as outlined in the training manual.

Accordingly, she distracted the suspect’s attention to buy time, reported the case to the police and closely communicated the situation with her colleagues.

This included Yang, the branch’s operation manager, who coordinated with Citibank Korea’s Seoul headquarters under the supervision of the branch’s head manager, Lee Sung-mo. Both managers also joined The Korea Times interview.

“The whole team shifted into a cooperative mode without needing instructions because everyone instinctively knew their roles, while the managers swiftly grasped the situation and supported us,” Lee Jeong-min recalled.

She added, “This level of teamwork comes from mutual trust — we don’t just share a workspace, we regard each other as dependable teammates.”

Yang assessed that successful prevention of the scam was “not just a lucky guess” but rather “a textbook example of how our regular training was activated automatically in the field.”

“Through training, we became well aware of how cleverly disguised voice phishing can be in everyday situations,” she said. “This experience reinforced that the training we received is not just theoretical — it directly translates into real-life crisis management.”

Lee Sung-mo, the head manager, found the case noteworthy, as many previous incidents involved stopping wire transfers before a loss occurs, but catching a “cash mule” at work is extremely difficult. In fraud cases, a cash mule’s bank account receives money from fraud victims, then withdraws it, delivering untraceable cash to the perpetrators.

“Against this backdrop, Lee Jeong-min and Yang Eun-ah deserve credit, while all 32 members at the branch also should be praised as a whole,” he said.

Employees of Citibank Korea's Incheon branch pose by the branch's counters, Monday, as they celebrate two of their colleagues, Lee Jeong-min and Yang Eun-ah, being honored for playing a central role in preventing a voice phishing scam, June 30. Courtesy of Citibank Korea

The case boosted morale at the branch, with encouragements pouring in from the bank’s Seoul headquarters, police and other parts of the local community.

The branch seeks to capitalize on the case to improve simulated training.

For instance, it voluntarily ran a simulation to see if it can respond better when similar incidents happen in the future.

“Nobody told us to, but we just want to be even better next time. And that’s where the strength of Citibank Korea’s culture comes from,” Yang said.

Asked how the case is expected to influence her mindset at work, Lee Jeong-min said, “I see it as my true duty to help customers walk away safely.”

“I will continue to treat every customer like family and safeguard them,” she added.

For newcomers to the finance industry, Yang advised that they should “see themselves as on the frontlines of the fight against fraud.”

She added, “Because we interact with customers directly, it’s not just about speed and rather about ensuring their peace of mind.”