Scam cases sharply decrease amid police's preventive measures

SEOUL, Aug. 25 (Yonhap) -- Police reported a significant decline in scam cases in July, attributing the drop to their preventive measures. According to the Korean National Police Agency, voice phishing cases fell by 46% from the previous year, with 7,940 cases reported, resulting in financial losses of 361.4 billion won (US$261 million), a 53% decrease.

The police attributed the decline partly to their efforts, such as using AI in collaboration with three mobile service providers to suspend phone numbers linked to phishing scams. July saw 2,275 new scam cases, a 41% decrease from the same month last year, with financial losses from these cases shrinking 40% to 62.1 billion won.

To protect potential victims, the police sent emergency alerts to 127,026 individuals in July, up from 767 in February. The declining damage from scams suggests that the preemptive measures implemented by the police are proving effective, according to Hong Suk-ki, head of the National Office of Investigation.