Beware of Malicious Spam Containing Internet Addresses
As concerns about ‘secondary damage’ from the leakage of personal information from Coupang are increasing, the Broadcasting and Media Communication Committee (BMCC) has urged caution against malicious spam.
On the 3rd, the BMCC warned that there might be damage related to malicious spam incidents such as the Coupang data breach and the distribution of consumer coupons for livelihood recovery. This follows growing concerns about phishing texts leading to the installation of malicious apps that steal personal information or cause payment-related damages.
The committee particularly emphasized avoiding clicking on internet addresses (URLs) contained in suspicious phishing texts such as “Your ordered item has been shipped” or “Notice of excessive distribution and retrieval of consumer coupons for livelihood recovery and levy of penalties,” and advised against answering related phone calls.
If you click on such URLs and access fake sites impersonating government agencies, malicious programs aiming to steal personal and financial information may be installed. This could lead to additional damages such as unauthorized transfers and remote control of the phone.
The BMCC has requested telecommunication companies and device manufacturers like Samsung to strengthen intelligent spam filtering in collaboration with the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA). Furthermore, if you receive a text that includes an unclear URL, you can prevent damage by using the ‘Boho Nara’ channel on KakaoTalk to copy and paste the message to verify its legitimacy. If you receive illegal spam, you can report it to KISA using easy report apps for illegal spam with the text and email in question.