Fake Police and Prosecutor Scams in South Korea
Voice phishing (boice phishing) fraudsters impersonating Korean prosecutors, police, or FSS officials demand urgent fund transfers to fabricated 'safe accounts'.
Part of: Fake Police Scams
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Boice phishing (보이스피싱) — Korean voice phishing — remains the country's most persistent phone fraud. Fraudsters impersonate police officers (경찰관), prosecutors (검사), or FSS investigators and claim the victim's bank account is implicated in money laundering, drug trafficking, or fraud involving their identity.
To 'protect' their funds during the investigation, victims are instructed to transfer all savings to a designated 'safe account' controlled by the fraudster. Korea's National Police Agency and FSS run permanent public awareness campaigns about this scam due to its scale and the enormous losses it causes.
How this scam works on South Korea
A call arrives from someone identifying as a police officer or prosecutor from a named Seoul or regional prosecution office. The caller states the victim's personal information and informs them their bank account is linked to a serious crime. To secure their funds from potential seizure, they must transfer everything to a 'Korea Financial Security Account' immediately.
The caller may instruct the victim to withdraw cash and hand it to a 'courier officer' who will arrive at their home, or to make transfers to multiple unfamiliar accounts. The victim is told to maintain total secrecy from family to avoid tipping off suspects.
Elderly Koreans are disproportionately targeted, and losses in individual cases can reach hundreds of millions of KRW.
Common red flags
- Phone call claiming your account is implicated in money laundering or fraud
- Instruction to transfer funds to a 'safe account' for investigation protection
- Demand for cash to be handed to a courier who will arrive at home
- Order to maintain strict secrecy from family members
- Spoofed caller ID showing a real police or prosecution office number
- Extreme urgency — claims immediate action is required to prevent account seizure
How to protect yourself
- Real Korean prosecutors and police never instruct citizens to transfer money over the phone
- Hang up and call the relevant agency back using the official number from the government directory (government24.go.kr)
- Talk to a family member immediately — isolation pressure is the scammer's key tool
- Korean banks are instructed to flag and delay unusual large transfers — inform your teller if in doubt
- Use the Cyber Bureau's quick check line (police.go.kr) to verify any claim
How to report it
- Report to the National Police Agency at police.go.kr or call 112
- Contact FSS consumer fraud reporting at fss.or.kr
- Report to KISA at kisa.or.kr for internet-assisted fraud components
Frequently asked questions
What is a 'safe account' (안전계좌) and why is it always a scam in Korea?
A 'safe account' (anjeon gyejwa) is a fabricated concept used exclusively in fraud. No legitimate Korean law enforcement or regulatory body instructs citizens to transfer personal funds to a designated account for investigation protection. This request is always a scam.