South Koreans are turning in droves to “Citizen Conan,” an anti-phishing app operated by the National Police Agency. (Photo: a screenshot from Citizen Conan website)
SEOUL, March 20 (Korea Bizwire) — As phone-based phishing scams grow increasingly sophisticated, South Koreans are turning in droves to “Citizen Conan,” an anti-phishing app operated by the National Police Agency.
According to mobile analytics firm IGAWorks Mobile Index, the number of Citizen Conan users surged by 215.9% in February, reaching 1.39 million, compared to the previous month. Despite being available only on Android devices, the app recorded the highest user growth across all mobile apps tracked last month.
The spike was especially sharp during the second week of February, with weekly usage jumping by 526.9%, followed by an additional 82.6% increase in the fourth week.
In terms of new installations, 1.24 million people downloaded Citizen Conan in February, pushing it to the No. 1 spot in app store rankings. Remarkably, it even outpaced Temu, the Chinese shopping app that had dominated the top spot in new installations for over a year.
The app’s explosive popularity appears to reflect rising public concern over phishing scams, frequently spotlighted in local media.
Developed jointly by the Korean National Police Agency’s Police Policy Research Institute and InfiniGroo, Citizen Conan allows users to instantly detect malicious applications, remote-control apps, and smishing attempts commonly used in voice phishing schemes.
The app’s success has even led to copycat phishing apps. In November 2024, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) issued a public warning after discovering a malicious fake version of Citizen Conan circulating domestically, reportedly distributed by phishing rings based in China.
An industry official noted, “As media coverage of voice phishing scams has intensified, the number of users downloading prevention apps like Citizen Conan has skyrocketed.”
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
