(Graphics by Park Ji-young/The Korea Herald)
(Graphics by Park Ji-young/The Korea Herald)

A 27-year-old defendant who took part in a voice phishing scam was sentenced to a year in prison, court officials said Sunday.

The defendant was found guilty of violating the law on telecommunications-based financial fraud, defrauding victims of a total of 96 million won ($65,400) between March and May last year.

The young defendant became involved in the scam while looking for a part-time job, encountering a member of a criminal ring at a job-search website in February, 2024. The crime ring member promised payment for delivery of the cash taken from scam victims.

The crime ring ran a scam by impersonating bank clerks and telling victims to apply for a loan. When the victims got the loan, the members called the victims and claimed they had violated the contract, telling them to pay the charges to "bank employees."

The court stressed that telecommunications fraud should be sternly punished, as it inflicts a severe amount of damage to unspecified members of the public.

The court granted leniency on grounds of the defendant not having prior criminal records. "Based on the defendant's role and the actual profit acquired, it seems severe to hold the defendant accountable for the entire financial damages (inflicted on the victims)," the court said in its ruling.


minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com