Voice phishing crimes drop 40% thanks to tougher measures

The number of voice phishing cases fell nearly 40 percent from a year earlier between October and July, thanks to a package of special measures designed to combat the crime, the government said Wednesday.

The government formed a special anti-voice phishing task force in August 2025 and took a series of measures to root out voice phishing crimes, such as emergency blocking of phone numbers used in such crimes, introducing an artificial intelligence-based warning system and boosting international cooperation.

The measures began paying off in October, when the number of such cases dropped 32.8 percent on-year to 1,226, following a steady increase through September last year, according to the prime minister's office. The downward trend has continued for 10 consecutive months through July.

Against such a backdrop, the total number of voice phishing cases between October and July fell 39.9 percent on-year to 12,554, and the amount of financial losses from such crimes declined 43.2 percent to 632.4 billion won ($462.5 million), the office said.