Voice phishing is a type of fraud where scammers call or text you while pretending to be a government agency or financial institution. They try to catch you off guard so they can steal your personal information or money. Recently, several cases have been reported in Korea where migrants and refugees are targeted with calls claiming that an “exit ban” has been placed on them. If you are worried about visa issues, please be especially careful.

Have you received a call or text like this?

If you have received a call or text containing any of the following, there is a very strong chance it is a voice phishing scam.

  • “An exit ban order has been issued against you.”
  • “This is the Korea Immigration Service (KIS). You need to verify your information right now.”
  • “Your name has come up in connection with a drug or criminal case.”
  • “You must immediately transfer your bank account funds to a safe account.”
  • “Click this link to enter your personal information or install an app.”

How scammers operate

Scammers spoof the caller ID to make it look like the call is coming from real institutions such as the Korea Immigration Service (KIS), the prosecutor’s office, the Korean National Police Agency (KNPA), or the Financial Supervisory Service. This is how a typical scam call unfolds:

  1. They call pretending to be an official agency. They impersonate KIS or prosecution officers and tell you that you are “involved in a crime” or “subject to an exit ban.”
  2. They create panic. They say things like “Your name is linked to a drug crime in Korea” or “There is an urgent court notice about you,” trying to make you feel frightened and rushed.
  3. They direct you to a fake website or app. They send you to a website made to look almost identical to a real government site, or they tell you to install an app via Telegram or Signal.
  4. They demand personal information or money. They ask you to enter personal details, transfer money, or hand over cash.

Things you must never do if you receive such a call

  • Do not give out personal information (your name, alien registration number, bank account number, passwords, etc.).
  • Do not click any link in a text message or email.
  • Do not install any app the caller asks you to install.
  • Do not send money or withdraw cash and hand it over to anyone.

Agencies under the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) will never ask for your personal information or ask you to download a smartphone app over the phone. If you receive such a request, do not comply and hang up immediately.

What to do if something seems suspicious

If you are on a call and something feels wrong, hang up right away. Do not respond to any suspicious text or email. Instead, contact your local Korea Immigration Service (KIS) office or the relevant official agency directly to check whether the call was genuine.

One important thing to keep in mind: after receiving a suspicious call, do not call back the number that appeared on your screen. Scammers set things up so that calling that number reaches them again. Always use a different phone or look up the official number from an official website before calling.

Here are the contacts you can use to verify or report:

  • Immigration and visa inquiries: Immigration Contact Center (1345) — available in Korean, English, and other languages
  • Emergency police report: 112
  • Financial fraud consultation: Financial Supervisory Service 1332
  • Spam text reporting: Korea Internet and Security Agency (KISA) 118
  • Korean National Police Agency (KNPA) cybercrime report: https://ecrm.police.go.kr
  • Voice phishing integrated reporting center: Call 1566-1188 / https://www.counterscam112.go.kr (open 24 hours)

If you have already been victimized

If you have already sent money or entered your personal information, please take a breath and act on the steps below as quickly as possible.

  1. Call 112. If you transferred money to a Korean bank account, you can request an immediate account freeze.
  2. Contact your bank. Call your bank directly and ask them to suspend withdrawals from your account.
  3. Call the Financial Supervisory Service at 1332. You can receive further guidance on financial losses.
  4. Visit your local police station. File an official report of the damage.

Please tell the people around you

These scam calls often specifically target migrants who are less comfortable in Korean. Please share this information with your family, friends, and colleagues to help prevent more people from being harmed.