Voice phishing cases plunge 40% after crackdown

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.

Yonhap