Scammers increasingly targeting Indians in South Korea

Seoul, July 2: All Indian nationals in South Korea have been advised to be careful about scammers after the Embassy of India in Seoul has, in recent days, received calls from members of the Indian community about the increasing number of voice phishing calls targeting them.

Most of these reported cases, the Indian Embassy said in an advisory issued on Tuesday, have a similar modus operandi where the scammers identify themselves as from the immigration authorities of South Korea, claiming to have found discrepancies with the visas of the persons concerned and threaten deportation.

"Later, they offer them a solution, which would prevent their deportation and ask them to pay a financial penalty. Many Indians who had received such calls made payments," the advisory revealed.

The Embassy further requested Indian nationals to exercise caution while sharing their personal information on social media platforms and with any third parties.

"If you receive such suspicious calls, you may share details such as the telephone number of the caller, the claim made by the caller and any other relevant details of such calls to the Embassy of India by email, as well as lodge a complaint with the local police authorities," it added.