To evade police detection, the syndicate set up makeshift tents in tall reed fields on an uninhabited island near Busan, creating a clandestine base for their operations. Within these tents, they installed and operated caller ID spoofing relay devices, even using solar panels for self-sustained power and remote management. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
BUSAN, Nov. 29 (Korea Bizwire) – In a development reminiscent of a spy thriller, a criminal syndicate engaged in voice phishing, or “vishing,” has been successfully dismantled by South Korean authorities. The enterprising organization, amassing a staggering 15 billion won (approximately $13.5 million) in illicit proceeds, resorted to a method straight out of Hollywood to elude law enforcement—installing caller ID spoofing relay devices on a remote island.
The Busan Metropolitan Police Agency’s Special Crime Investigation Division disclosed on November 28 that three individuals had been successfully extradited from China, including a 20-something ringleader accused of being the mastermind behind a Chinese vishing operation. The charges involve participation in a criminal organization and fraud. Law enforcement authorities also arrested an additional 20 accomplices who operated caller ID spoofing relay stations in South Korea, leading to the detention of 13 individuals.
The syndicate, in operation from July 2018 to September 2023, orchestrated a sophisticated scheme across six locations in China, including Dalian, employing tactics such as impersonating prosecutors, financial institutions, and even victims’ children.
The investigation revealed that the group utilized caller ID spoofing relay stations to make calls to Korean victims from China. By leveraging these devices, the overseas calls appeared on the victims’ phones with domestic ’010′ numbers rather than the actual international ’070′ VOIP numbers.
The group made use of mobile phones registered under false identities, operating fixed relay stations hidden in motels or underground and portable relay stations on vehicles, including cars and motorcycles.
Remarkably, to evade police detection, the syndicate set up makeshift tents in tall reed fields on an uninhabited island near Busan, creating a clandestine base for their operations. Within these tents, they installed and operated caller ID spoofing relay devices, even using solar panels for self-sustained power and remote management.
In a surprising revelation, it was disclosed that the criminals, over a year and a half, enlisted local fishermen as collaborators, paying them to manage the relay devices.
During the raid on the relay stations, law enforcement officials seized 180 burner phones, 1,800 counterfeit SIM cards, and 35 relay devices.
A police official emphasized the need for heightened vigilance, stating, “These vishing organizations recruit individuals by offering substantial payments, convincing them to install relay devices in apartments, motels, or vehicles. It is imperative to be particularly cautious against such schemes disguised as high-paying part-time jobs.” The elaborate nature of this criminal enterprise underscores the evolving challenges faced by law enforcement in combating cybercrime.
J. S. Shin (js_shin@koreabizwire.com)
