A Korean police scam is targeting Korean Americans. Fraudsters impersonate South Korean judicial authorities and consulate staff. Recently, they have escalated their tactics by using video calls and fake police uniforms to make their deception more convincing.
Scammers Impersonate Police Officers
On March 4, Lee, a Korean woman living in New York, received a call from a number that appeared to belong to the Consulate General of Korea in New York. The caller, posing as an official, said, “We received an urgent document from the Korean National Police Agency,” and then asked for Lee’s family details, workplace, school, and home address.
Feeling suspicious, Lee followed the caller’s instructions to join a video call via Telegram. When the call connected, she was shocked. The screen showed what looked like a police office, with uniformed officers in the background.
Fake Police Office Setup
In a screenshot Lee shared, a man in his 20s or 30s, dressed in a police uniform with rank insignia and a badge, sat at a desk. The background displayed a police station logo and the South Korean flag. A police hat rested on a nearby drawer, making the setup appear legitimate.
The man introduced himself as Choi Jeong-Bae, claiming to be from the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency. When Lee asked for a contact number, he gave 010-3435-1206, insisting it belonged to the Seoul Police. However, after verifying the number, Lee confirmed it was a scam and warned other Korean Americans.
Authorities Raise Concerns
The Korean Embassy in Washington, D.C., and the Consulate General of Korea in Los Angeles have expressed concerns about these scams. Since December 2023, fraudsters have improved their methods, even setting up fake police station studios for video calls.
Kang, a Police Consul at the Consulate General in Los Angeles, warned that these scams could easily deceive people. He noted that although the police uniforms and rank insignia appeared convincing, they lacked proper details. Additionally, the police station logo did not indicate a specific location, raising further suspicion.
“The rank shown in the video call, which appeared to be High Rank (the third-highest rank), does not match the age of the impersonator,” Kang said. “Someone that young could not hold such a rank.”
How to Stay Safe
Authorities urge anyone receiving such a call to report the scammer’s social media accounts and other details. South Korean law enforcement agencies are actively tracking these fraudsters.
Meanwhile, the Korean National Police Agency and the Korean Embassy in Washington, D.C., warn that any call from a supposed foreign consulate official should be treated as a scam if they:
- Claim a bank account is under investigation
- Say an arrest warrant has been issued
- Instruct the person to join a Telegram video call
To protect against fraud, authorities advise Korean Americans to stay vigilant and report any suspicious activity immediately.
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BY HYOUNGJAE KIM [kim.ian@koreadaily.com]
