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Prosecutors indict 53 suspects of voice phishing ring based in Cambodia, Thailand

Published: 12 Nov. 2025, 15:05 Updated: 12 Nov. 2025, 16:17

Suspects of voice phishing scams, extradited from Cambodia in October, enter the Hongseong branch of the Daejeon District Court in South Chungcheong on Oct. 20. [NEWS1]

Fifty-three suspects extradited from Cambodia have been indicted and are now standing trial in detention.

The Hongseong branch of the Daejeon District Prosecutors’ Office indicted 53 individuals — members of a large-scale international voice phishing ring based in Southeast Asia — on charges including fraud under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes, the office said on Wednesday.

Of the 53 indicted, 45 were extradited from Cambodia on Oct. 18 after being detained by immigration authorities.

The international voice phishing operation was run by a Korean Chinese ringleader known as “Bu Geon” from June last year to July this year. The group worked at call centers in Cambodia and Thailand and allegedly defrauded 110 victims out of approximately 9.4 billion won ($6.4 million).

The organization is believed to have comprised over 200 members, with a hierarchy that included a ringleader, subringleaders, unit heads and upper- and lower-level team leaders. The phishing teams were organized into specific roles: “Chatters” lured in victims; “TMs,” or telemarketers, made phone calls; “killers” transferred the money; and “team leaders” handled training and monitored performance.

The organization used various tactics, including romance scams, voice phishing, cryptocurrency investment fraud and scams involving fake orders placed with local businesses.

The group allegedly extorted 2.7 billion won in romance scams alone. Members used dating apps, deepfake images and female members' voices to create female personas and deceive male victims, requiring a verification fee to meet in person.

Suspects of voice phishing scams, extradited from Cambodia in October, are transferred to the Hongseong branch of the Daejeon District Court in South Chungcheong on Oct. 20. [NEWS1]

They also impersonated prosecutors and falsely told victims that they had been involved in crimes while applying for credit cards, allegedly defrauding them of 6.01 billion won. For crypto scams, members tricked victims by claiming a token listed on a minor exchange would soon be listed on a major one, only to provide a fake coin instead, allegedly stealing 470 million won. For another scam, they posed as government officials, approached local shops and asked them to buy specific products on their behalf, resulting in gains totaling 180 million won.

After taking over the case from the police, prosecutors uncovered an additional 420 million won in criminal proceeds. Authorities said they have identified the ringleader and issued an Interpol Red Notice to pursue joint investigations overseas.

Prosecutors also revealed that some suspects had been recruited through a so-called pyramid scheme, in which a person got paid $600 per recruit they lured in. One suspect who had worked as a call center agent reportedly became a domestic recruiter and received commissions, leading to additional charges.

The suspects have also been indicted for violations of the Special Act on the Prevention of Loss Caused by Telecommunications-based Financial Fraud and Refund for Loss to ensure they face appropriate punishment.

A total of 89 cryptocurrency exchange accounts under the suspects' names, believed to have been used for money laundering, have been frozen.

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 CHO MUN-GYU [[email protected]]