Beware of voice phishing impersonating the Seoul Immigration Office; international calls must be ended immediately

The Ministry of Justice has warned the public about voice-phishing calls impersonating the Seoul Immigration Office. The suspicious calls use international numbers beginning with 06 or 00682. An automated message says an important document has arrived and then prompts the recipient to press a number key.

In a case disclosed by the Ministry of Justice, the automated message instructed recipients to press 1 for Korean guidance or 2 for Chinese guidance. Pressing a button may connect the recipient to a fake agent who may attempt to steal personal information.

What do immigration offices do?

Immigration offices are government agencies that handle civil matters related to foreign nationals’ visas, entry and departure, stay in Korea, foreigner registration and certificate issuance, nationality and refugees. Foreign residents and international students may in fact receive guidance from these offices for matters such as extending a period of stay, changing status of stay or obtaining certificates.

Scammers exploit these realistic points of contact to make claims such as “an important document has arrived” sound credible. But the standard stated by the Ministry of Justice in this notice is clear: immigration offices nationwide do not use international calls to demand that people using their services submit documents or provide personal information.

How is this different from contact by an official agency?

Immigration offices nationwide do not use international calls to require people using their services to submit documents or provide personal information. If an international caller claims to be the Seoul Immigration Office, says there is an important document the recipient has not received, and asks the recipient to press 1 or 2, the call matches the method warned about by the Ministry of Justice.

Recipients must not press a button merely because the caller states the agency’s name correctly. This scheme combines the real name of an agency with an automated response system to make the call appear to come from a public institution. The key test is not the agency name itself, but whether an international call asks for documents or personal information and prompts keypad input.

What should you do if you receive such a call?

The Ministry of Justice advises recipients not to press any keypad buttons on a suspicious call and to end the call immediately. If immigration-related facts need to be checked separately, use the main number posted on the official website of the Ministry of Justice or the relevant immigration office, not a number provided by the person on the call.

If voice-phishing damage has occurred or a report or inquiry is needed, you can contact the Integrated Voice Phishing Reporting and Response Center at 1394 or the police at 112.

The response in this notice can be summarized in three steps. Even if an automated message is heard on a suspicious international call beginning with 06, 00682 or a similar prefix, do not press a number key. End the call immediately. For necessary verification and reporting, use the agency contact information on the official website, 1394 or 112.