Government issues warning about texting scam

The government issued a warning yesterday to be aware of fraudulent text messages that contain a web link to a video clip of a rescue scene from the capsized Sewol ferry.

The link uploads a malicious application onto users’ phones that steals any personal records on the device and installs a fake banking app on smartphones in an attempt to steal financial information. The Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning and the Korea Internet Security Agency (KISA) said the message contains an abbreviated URL link to a webpage.

KISA said there has been one report in the morning and another in the afternoon. No cases of financial damage have been recorded. Those who reported the message to KISA did not click on the web address.

“The number of reports has not been high,” said Lee Sang-heon, the security team manager at KISA, “but the agency issued the warning to prevent potential financial damage.”

The messages were sent from regular cell phone numbers starting with 010, but Lee said those numbers appeared to be fake. The government advised smartphone users to delete the messages and report any suspicious text messages to KISA by dialing 118.

BY KIM JI-YOON [jiyoon.kim@joongang.co.kr]