Voice phishing scams impersonating Korean diplomatic missions, such as the Korean Embassy and Consulates in the U.S., are on the rise, causing a surge in victims among the Korean-American community. However, critics point out that the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ statistics fail to capture the true extent of these crimes, revealing a significant gap between reality and official data.

Voice phishing scams impersonating consulates have been rampant, particularly in the Western U.S. Last month, the Korean Consulate General in Seattle reported that over two days, three Korean Americans visited the consulate to verify suspicious calls they received. These scammers used sophisticated tactics, manipulating caller IDs to display the consulate’s actual phone number to perpetrate financial fraud. According to the Seattle Consulate, scammers mentioned the recipient’s name, threatened them with involvement in crimes like drugs or illegal bank accounts, and demanded personal information.

They claimed a warrant had been issued by the Korean Prosecutor’s Office and coerced victims to install and share Telegram IDs for a supposed security investigation, while insisting they not tell anyone else. Scammers even suggested, “If you don’t believe us, visit the consulate in person,” to gain trust. Last month, a Korean American, Hong, from Fairfax, Virginia, reported receiving a scam call impersonating a staff member of the New York Consulate General.

The scammer claimed to represent the Korean Prosecutor’s Office, instructing Hong to visit a specific website and enter their name and Korean resident registration number. When Hong expressed skepticism, the scammer connected them to another supposed “prosecutor.” Hong noted, “The website was so well-crafted that I nearly fell for it.” Earlier, a 44-year-old Korean American, Lee, from LA’s Koreatown received a call from someone posing as a Korean Embassy official. The caller claimed Lee faced legal issues in Korea and needed to “verify documents.”

They directed Lee to a supposed Prosecutor’s Office case inquiry website, providing a fraudulent address when Lee reported connectivity issues. The website address was not associated with any legitimate public institution. These voice phishing scams are evolving, often combining with drug-related crimes or exploiting advanced IT technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), necessitating heightened caution. Amid the ongoing wave of scams, the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ statistics are criticized as being out of touch with reality. According to data submitted to Rep.

Kim Geon’s office from the People Power Party on October 2, only 16 cases of consulate-impersonating voice phishing were reported across U.S. diplomatic missions from January to September this year. Since these scams target Korean Americans using the Korean language, they are often deprioritized by U.S. law enforcement. Meanwhile, South Korean authorities cite the overseas nature of these crimes as a barrier to effective response. As a result, scammers continue to exploit this enforcement blind spot, targeting Korean Americans with impunity, while adequate countermeasures remain absent. One victim expressed frustration, stating, “After receiving a phishing call, I contacted the consulate, but they only told me to report it to local police.

Since scammers use Korean and target Korean expatriates, I wish the Korean government would work more proactively with U.S. law enforcement to eradicate these crimes.” In response, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, “As consulate-impersonating voice phishing crimes have recently increased, we are strengthening prevention and response measures.” A ministry official added, “In March, we discussed countermeasures at a North American consular safety meeting, and last month, we posted a video produced by the Korean National Police Agency on preventing such scams on consulate websites to enhance our response.”

Reporters: Han Hyung-seok and Seo Han-seo