The scripts scammers use on foreigners in Korea — fake immigration officers, delivery smishing, prosecutor impersonation — what to do in the first 10 minutes if you paid, and why 'easy money transfer jobs' can make you a criminal.
Last verified & updated: 2026-09-09
| Script | How it goes |
|---|---|
| Fake immigration / police | Your visa has a problem, an arrest warrant exists, deportation is imminent — pay a fine or 'verify' your bank account now |
| Delivery smishing | A text: parcel could not be delivered / customs fee due — with a link that installs a spy app or harvests card details |
| Money mule recruiting | Easy part-time job: receive transfers into your account and forward them for a cut — this is laundering stolen money |
The common thread is fear plus urgency — scammers know a visa threat lands harder on a foreigner than on anyone else.
1. Korean immigration, police, prosecutors, and banks never demand money, gift cards, or app installs by phone. Never. Ending such a call is always correct.
2. Verify on a number you dial yourself — immigration 1345, police 112. Never call back a number the caller gave you or a text contained.
3. Never install an APK from a text link, and never share verification codes. One installed app can forward your calls and read your banking texts.
1. Call your bank's fraud line and 112 immediately and request a payment suspension (jigeup-jeongji) on the receiving account. Money frozen before the mule withdraws it can be refunded through the official reimbursement process.
2. File the police report and keep everything — numbers, texts, transfer receipts. English help: interpretation via 112 itself, or 1330 to bridge the call.
3. Financial Supervisory Service 1332 guides the refund procedure and disputes.
1. Airplane mode — cut its connection first
2. Delete the app; on Android check Settings → Apps for anything you did not install
3. Change banking and email passwords from a different device
4. Report to KISA at 118 (24/7 hacking & smishing hotline); when in doubt, factory-reset the phone
Only clicked, installed nothing, entered nothing? You are almost certainly fine — delete the text and move on.
Lending your bank account, ARC, or phone number — or forwarding transfers for a “job” — makes you a money mule. In Korea that carries criminal liability and, for foreigners, deportation risk even if you claim you did not know. No legitimate employer ever needs your bank account to pass money through.
Q. Immigration called saying my visa has a problem and I must pay. Real?
No. Korean immigration, police, and prosecutors never demand money, gift cards, or app installs by phone. Hang up and verify yourself through the official 1345 immigration line. Fear of visa trouble is exactly the lever scammers use on foreigners.
Q. I already transferred money. What now?
Act in minutes, not hours: call your bank's fraud line and 112 immediately and request payment suspension (jigeup-jeongji) on the receiving account — money frozen before withdrawal can be refunded through the official process. Then file the police report.
Q. I clicked a delivery text link. Is my phone infected?
If you only clicked, you are probably fine — but if you installed anything (an APK) or entered card details, act now: airplane mode, delete the app, change banking passwords from a different device, and consider a factory reset. KISA's 118 hotline handles smishing reports.
Q. A job offers easy pay for receiving and forwarding money. Safe?
That is money laundering (a 'money mule'). In Korea you can be criminally charged and deported even if you claim you did not know. The same applies to renting out your bank account or ARC — never do it.
Phone numbers, fees, and procedures can change. Treat this page as a starting point and confirm details with the official sources above.