KCC issues 'Phishing Text Alert' ahead of second round of livelihood recovery consumer coupons.

Second Plenary Meeting of the Public-Private Consultative Body for Combating Illegal Spam (Seoul=Yonhap News) Shin Young-kyu, Director General of the Broadcasting and Communications User Policy Bureau, is taking a commemorative photo with participants at the Second Plenary Meeting of the Public-Private Consultative Body for Combating Illegal Spam held at the ENA Hotel R.ENA Convention in Jung-gu, Seoul on the 10th. 2025.4.10 [Provided by the Korea Communications Commission. Reproduction and database prohibited] photo@yna.co.kr

The Korea Communications Commission (KCC) issued an alert for malicious spam on the 4th, warning about "phishing texts" that impersonate content related to the second round of livelihood recovery consumer coupons, scheduled for distribution this month, and attempt to lure users to illegal gambling sites.

The KCC cited examples of illegal spam reports such as mobile messages like "Livelihood Recovery Coupon Arrival Notice... Click to Receive Now" and "Additional Livelihood Support Payment... August 15th Special Pardon," which prompt users to click on links that directly connect to specific websites.

The KCC urged users to be cautious and avoid clicking on internet addresses (URLs) in messages from unknown sources, and not to answer calls from them.

The KCC warned that clicking on internet addresses in messages sent by unverified senders, which could lead to accessing fake websites disguised as government agencies, can result in the installation of programs and apps designed to steal personal and financial information, leading to further damages such as unauthorized remittances and remote control of mobile phones.

To combat such illegal spam, the KCC is collaborating with the three major mobile carriers and Kakao to sequentially send warning messages to users. They have also requested that telecommunications companies and device manufacturers like Samsung Electronics enhance their intelligent spam filtering capabilities.

Furthermore, users are encouraged to prioritize verifying the legitimacy of messages containing internet addresses from unclear sources by copying and pasting them into the "Bohonnara" (Protect Korea) channel on KakaoTalk. They are also urged to actively report suspicious messages through the illegal spam simplified reporting app and mobile phone simplified reporting to the Korea Internet & Security Agency.