Reporting a scam in South Korea
First hour, in order
- Call your bank. Call your bank or 1332 to request suspension of the receiving account — Korea's voice-phishing rules allow rapid account freezes.
- Stop paying. No fee, tax or "release payment" ever unlocks money that does not exist.
- Screenshot everything before you delete an app, block a number or close an account.
- Then report using the routes below. Reporting is slower than the bank call, and less urgent — but it is what produces enforcement.
South Korea has a fast account-freeze process for voice phishing, run through the Financial Supervisory Service on 1332. Speed matters more here than almost anywhere: the freeze works only before the money is withdrawn.
Where to report
Also worth using
What not to do
- Do not pay anyone to recover your money. No legitimate service charges an up-front fee to get stolen funds back, and people who have just been scammed are the primary market for recovery scams.
- Do not use contact details the scammer gave you — not the phone number, not the "support" chat, not a link in a message. Look the agency up yourself.
- Do not delete the evidence. Apps, chats, wallet addresses and transaction IDs are what make a report actionable.
- Do not send one more payment. This is where most of the largest losses happen.
Sources
- Korean National Police Agency. Korean National Police Agency. Accessed 2026-09-06.
- Financial Supervisory Service. Financial Supervisory Service, Korea. Accessed 2026-09-06.