Emergency Call-Blocking System to Disable Fraudulent Numbers Within 10 Minutes in South Korea

 

Emergency Call-Blocking System to Disable Fraudulent Numbers Within 10 Minutes in South Korea

South Korea will implement a new emergency call-blocking system starting on the 24th, allowing authorities to deactivate any phone number used for voice phishing or related financial crimes within 10 minutes of a report. This marks a major upgrade from the previous system, which took an average of two days to fully restrict fraudulent lines.

According to the Korean National Police Agency (KNPA), the new system was developed in partnership with the nation’s three major telecom operators—SKT, KT, and LG U+—as well as Samsung Electronics. The initiative aims to address the rapid spread of phone-based financial scams, noting that nearly 75% of phishing damage occurs within 24 hours of the initial fraudulent message or call.

To speed up detection, the KNPA built a real-time monitoring structure that immediately blocks suspicious phone numbers as soon as they connect to domestic telecom networks. All incoming reports are analyzed by the agency’s integrated anti-fraud task force, which then sends instant block requests to telecom carriers. Once received, carriers temporarily suspend the number for seven days—blocking both incoming and outgoing calls—before permanently deactivating it after further verification.

Samsung smartphones released after December 2024 include a new “Quick Report” anti-fraud button. Users can simply long-press suspicious calls or messages to file a report instantly, and pre-enabled call recording helps investigators gather critical evidence. Users without this feature can report through the national anti-phishing website at www.counterscam112.go.kr.

During a three-week pilot program, over 145,000 reports were submitted, resulting in 5,249 fraudulent numbers being blocked. In one case, authorities prevented financial loss in real time after detecting a scammer requesting authentication codes from another potential victim; the instant cutoff ended the call before the victim could provide sensitive information.

Police emphasize that citizens should never click suspicious links or respond to unknown calls. Instead, they should use the Quick Report function or report directly to 1566-1188, the official anti-scam hotline, or dial 112.

Authorities warn that malicious false reports will result in criminal penalties, but stressed that public participation is crucial. “The more people report, the faster we can dismantle the communication channels used for fraud,” officials noted.