Korean, Vietnamese authorities bust mobile smishing ring

This photo shows Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency headquarters AJP — This photo shows the Korean National Police Agency's logo. AJP

SEOUL, September 20 (AJP) - A sophisticated mobile smishing operation headquartered in Viet Nam has been dismantled through a joint effort between South Korean and Vietnamese authorities. The criminal network, which extracted about 10 billion won ($76 million) from 230 victims, is the largest mobile smishing case ever uncovered in South Korea.

The operation's nerve center in Viet Nam coordinated the sending of deceptive mobile messages, including fake wedding invitations, obituaries and parcel delivery notifications. These messages contained malicious links that, when clicked, installed malware on victims' devices. South Korean police have apprehended a total of 86 suspects, with seven key members operating from Viet Nam.

Vietnamese law enforcement played a crucial role in the investigation. Following intelligence sharing and coordination with South Korean officials, Vietnamese authorities arrested several suspects in their country. The operation's mastermind was captured in Ho Chi Minh City on Sept. 4.

South Korean police emphasized that this case serves as a model for dismantling overseas criminal networks through close collaboration with foreign law enforcement agencies and police liaisons.

AJP