A victim of voice phishing in Korea learned his lesson, but too late. The Dongjak Police Station discovered that the victim of a voice phishing scam had deposited money into a swindler’s bank account and did not report the losses. A police officer phoned the victim to advise that they ask the bank to stop payment on the account.

But once bitten twice shy, the victim didn’t take Lt. Na Seok-gu at his word, and responded, “Dirty swindler! If you’re a policeman, I’m your grandfather!” However, the official was legitimate and only offering sound advice.

According to the South Korean site Dong-A Ilbo, this has become more common than most government agencies realize, and police stations, post offices and taxing authorities are having a hard time communicating legitimately with citizens, who have grown savvy about the scams and are suspicious of anybody claiming to be in a position of authority. This is by no means solely a Korean phenomenon. On one hand, government authorities often must take the lead in educating citizens about fraud. But on the other hand, they must establish a safe protocol for communicating with citizens when it is necessary to ensure legitimacy.

There have been other similar incidents. When a postal worker in Seoul called somebody to deliver an item to a person who moved to another district, the resident didn’t believe the person was on the level and hung up the phone. Tax offices and banks face similar problems, since there are so many phishing frauds out there where criminals falsely claim to be with the tax office or a government agency. On the email front, they supplement their false claim with a very realistic-looking email and web site. We’ve all learned that if somebody is calling with good financial news, chances are it’s a scam–so when a real tax agent calls about giving you a refund, how do you know they can be believed? Some Korean police departments are sending a written summons before making a phone call.