A calm response by a NongHyup employee led to a voice phishing pickup agent being caught by police.

Pocheon Police Station in Gyeonggi Province announced on the 28th that it had arrested a female pickup agent in her 20s, Ms. A, on suspicion of violating the Special Act on the Prevention of and Restitution for Financial Losses from Telecommunications Fraud, and that it plans to refer her.

According to police, at about 11 a.m. on December 3 last year, Bae Yong-Su, a manager at the Gasan NongHyup Jeonggyo Branch in Soheul eup, Pocheon City, guided a man in his 60s, Mr. B, who was lingering near the counter, to a consultation area.

The previous day, Mr. B had already transferred $15,000 (20,000,000 KRW) to an account designated by the scammers. When Mr. B said he intended to withdraw an additional $37,500 (50,000,000 KRW) and hand it over, Bae judged that it was linked to voice phishing and reported it to the police.

It was determined that the scammers approached Mr. B using refinancing as bait, telling him “We will switch your high interest loan to a low interest loan.” Although Bae explained the possibility of voice phishing, Mr. B initially did not believe it.

Even during the consultation, the scammers kept calling to check whether cash had been withdrawn. To buy time for a police response, Bae showed quick thinking by placing bundles of cash in an envelope and sending a photo of it to the scammers.

Responding officers moved with Mr. B and at about 12:30 p.m. the same day arrested Ms. A in the act near the Soheul Eup Office as she attempted to pick up the cash.

Bae said, “Because he was a customer I had seen before, I paid closer attention,” and added, “Demanding cash under the pretense of a refinancing loan is a typical voice phishing tactic.”

Police said they presented a letter of appreciation to the NongHyup branch for preventing voice phishing damage and contributing to the arrest.