Sophisticated phishing scams targeting overseas Koreans rising as criminals impersonate embassy, consular staff
Published: 13 Oct. 2025, 13:41
Updated: 13 Oct. 2025, 15:15
![An officer takes a call at the national police agency's around-the-clock phishing and scam reporting center, set up in central Seoul's Jongno District, on Sept. 17. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/10/13/385bed56-441d-4fb2-868c-5f04a33a303f.jpg)
An officer takes a call at the national police agency's around-the-clock phishing and scam reporting center, set up in central Seoul's Jongno District, on Sept. 17. [YONHAP]
Believing that it had to be real because the phone number was the same as that of the Korean embassy in the United States, Kim transferred 300 million won ($210,000) “to prove that the money wasn't from drug trafficking.” It turned out that Kim had fallen victim to a carefully orchestrated voice phishing scheme.
The incident was reported to both Korean police and the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation. The victim’s account was frozen as a result.
The surge in voice phishing scams impersonating Korean diplomatic missions has become more sophisticated. The scammers collect names, phone numbers and addresses of overseas Koreans before making contact. They spoof official embassy phone numbers and create websites and documents using government logos to gain trust. Some have even turned to video calls to impersonate law enforcement agencies.
From January to September this year, the Foreign Ministry received 23 reports of voice phishing scams involving fake calls from Korean embassies and consulates — up sharply from just one case last year. Of the 23 cases reported between January and September, 16 occurred in the Americas, mostly in the United States and Canada, followed by five in Europe and two in Asia-Pacific. Most of the scams occurred in March.
That month, a scammer called a Korean resident in Los Angeles from the main number of the Korean Consulate General in the city, identifying themselves as a consular staffer and even giving the name of an actual employee. Claiming the resident was a suspect in a drug investigation by the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, the scammer sent a link to a fake website. When the victim entered their personal information, a fabricated arrest warrant appeared on the screen, complete with the victim’s name.
![An officer takes a call at the national police agency's around-the-clock phishing and scam reporting center, set up in central Seoul's Jongno District, on Sept. 17. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/10/13/ae61b2ea-ab61-4d3a-965f-f33c2a81ea5c.jpg)
An officer takes a call at the national police agency's around-the-clock phishing and scam reporting center, set up in central Seoul's Jongno District, on Sept. 17. [YONHAP]
In Yokohama, Japan, another Korean resident fell victim to a similar scam that month. The caller claimed the resident’s bank account had been used in connection with a Vietnamese drug ring. The scammer, posing as a Korean prosecutor, knew the victim’s real name and address. The resident was convinced and wired 10 million won and 4 million yen ($26,000) in total — via a fake prosecutors’ office website. The scammer continued pressuring for more, saying the amount was insufficient while claiming to be working with Japanese police.
Another case in Toronto, Canada, involved a call that appeared to come from the Korean Embassy in Ottawa. The scammer, claiming to be a Korean prosecutor, convinced a Korean resident to send approximately 6.5 million won in money and also personal information.
One case even involved a face-to-face handoff. In June, a Korean national walking the Camino de Santiago in Spain received a call from what appeared to be the Korean Consulate General in New York and the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency. The caller said the person’s bank account had been used in an embezzlement case. The victim was instructed to send $74,000 worth of cryptocurrency and to purchase a luxury watch worth 600 million won for “evidence preservation.” In July, the victim handed over the watch in New York to an unidentified elderly man who spoke fluent Korean.
![The Ministry of Foreign Affairs logo is seen outside the ministry building in Jongno District, central Seoul, on Sept. 24. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/10/13/4ed653d3-a3ff-4d3a-aa29-637787a015e4.jpg)
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs logo is seen outside the ministry building in Jongno District, central Seoul, on Sept. 24. [YONHAP]
“Diplomatic missions are the last line of protection for our nationals overseas,” said Kim Gunn, a lawmaker from the People Power Party. “Crimes that impersonate them severely undermine public trust in the government. The Foreign Ministry must move beyond issuing warnings and actively work with local authorities to enact aggressive crackdowns and ensure prosecution for these crimes.”
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY PARK HYUN-JU [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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