South Korea – To tackle the rising threat of phone scams, the Korean National Police Agency and Cheil have launched a campaign inviting the public to submit scammers’ voice samples, which will be analysed to track and catch criminals.
Titled “VOICE WANTED”, the campaign seeks to curb the surge in phone scam crimes in South Korea by collecting voice samples of scammers with the help of the public.
The Korean National Police Agency and Cheil are focusing on the perpetrator’s voice as a key clue in investigating scam calls. Similar to fingerprints, each voice has unique characteristics, known as vocal cords, which can be used to identify individuals even as scam tactics evolve.
By collecting more voice samples, authorities can strengthen their voice analysis model, improving both the likelihood of arrests and the potential for crime prevention.
As part of the campaign, Cheil has created wanted posters for scammers’ voices. The posters feature waveform graphs derived from actual scam call voiceprints, creating a virtual composite sketch. Scanning the poster’s QR code allows the public to access real scam call cases, learn about current criminal tactics, and report scam call recordings to the police.
Authorities can then extract suspect voices from reported calls and compare them to existing criminal voice files for investigation or arrest. This data can also be shared with telecommunications companies, enabling them to send warning alerts when suspected scam calls are made.
Over time, as the database of voice samples grows and the analysis model is refined, the authorities expect it will help uncover organised scam networks and track other crimes committed by these perpetrators.
To promote the campaign, Cheil also produced a film and additional videos demonstrating scam call tactics. A total of 14,000 VOICE WANTED posters have been distributed nationwide to police stations, government offices, banks, ATMs, and telecommunications companies. The promotional film will be available on the Korean National Police Agency’s website and social media channels.
Acting Korean National Police Agency Commissioner Yoo Jae-sung stated, “The primary purpose of the VOICE WANTED campaign is to inform the public about increasingly sophisticated scam call tactics and to encourage public participation in reporting phone scam criminals’ voices for prevention.”
He added, “We expect this campaign to help realise a safe community free from scam calls by engaging all citizens, transcending the boundaries between the private and public sectors.”
