After the absurd deposit of "'Yoon OO: 200,000 won'", the ordeal to unlock the 'frozen account' began.

A 60-year-old man, ㄱ씨, discovered a 20,000-won deposit under the name "윤○○" in his savings account in early June. This was the first time he had heard such a name. Shortly after, smaller deposits of 100 won and 200 won appeared under the names "불법도박계좌" and "큐비236." ㄱ씨 reported this situation to the police and the bank's financial fraud hotline, requesting a return of the money.

However, lacking English skills, he was anxious about the possible repercussions of returning the funds. Upon confirmation from the bank that the deposit was made via a mobile payment service, ㄱ씨 refused to return the money, fearing involvement in illicit activities. The anxiety turned into a reality when, on July 9, he received a message from a securities firm stating that transactions in all his financial accounts had been restricted.

This was a case of "account freeze," a crime that involves freezing a victim's account with the help of a fraudulent electronic transaction. The ㄱc, who works in customs and frequently uses online banking, faced significant setbacks in his work. The "account freeze" scheme, which exploits the "fraudulent account payment suspension system," is prevalent in South Korea.

Over 149,000 accounts were frozen in major banks between May 2025 and May 2026. While the cause of the crimes is unknown, the perpetrators typically either demand payment to release the freeze or seek accounts for use in actual crimes. The resolution process is complex for those whose accounts have been frozen. ㄱc finally identified the fraudulent account as belonging to a voice phishing crime and lodged an appeal with the bank, but it took over ten days for the bank to overturn the freeze.

The financial supervisory agency eventually lifted the restrictions after ten days, citing the time needed for review. The ㄱc, frustrated by the lengthy process, hopes that the legal system will be improved so that account freeze victims can quickly receive fraudulent income.