"Beware of Chuseok Subsidy Texts" Warning Issued Over Personal Information Theft

[Financial News] Ahead of Chuseok, users are being urged to beware of phishing texts offering "holiday subsidies" or "gift delivery" services. It is important not to click on URLs from unclear sources or enter personal information, account numbers, or other sensitive details.
The KMCC urged users to exercise caution on the 17th, warning that phishing texts impersonating messages such as "Enter your delivery information for an arriving gift" and "Chuseok Event" could emerge.
The KMCC, together with the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA), also asked telecommunications companies and device manufacturers, including Samsung Electronics, to strengthen intelligent spam filtering.
Phishing texts steal personal and financial information by prompting users to enter their home addresses or account numbers, or by inducing them to install malicious apps. Such attacks can lead to further damage, including remotely controlling a mobile phone through a malicious app and automatically sending illegal spam without the user's knowledge.
The KMCC emphasized that legitimate text messages do not request unnecessary personal information or account numbers. It said users must verify in advance any message containing a URL that prompts them to enter such information or install a program.
Messages containing URLs from unclear sources can be checked through the BohoNara channel on KakaoTalk. Enabling the "Automatically Block Security Risks" feature in the phone's settings can also help prevent unauthorized installation of apps from unknown sources.
The KMCC emphasized, "If you receive illegal spam, you can report it to KISA through the Illegal Spam Easy Report app or your mobile phone's easy-report feature," adding, "Deleting and blocking the message can help prevent further harm from spreading."
[email protected] Choi Hye-rim Reporter