How to Report Cybercrime in South Korea (and Get Your Money Back)

Quick answer: For a crime in progress or an emergency, call the police on 112. Report cybercrime and online fraud to the Korean National Police Agency online at ecrm.police.go.kr (the ECRM cybercrime reporting system). For hacking, malware, or internet security incidents, call KISA on 118. If money has already left your account, call your bank's fraud line and the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) on 1332 right now to request a payment suspension on the account you paid into. Under Korea's Telecommunications Financial Fraud Victims Refund Act, money frozen in a scammer's account before it is withdrawn can be returned to you without filing a separate lawsuit.

What to do in 3 steps

1. Freeze the money first. Call your bank's customer service or fraud line and the FSS on 1332 immediately and request a payment suspension (jigeup-jeongji) on the account you transferred money to. Speed matters more than anything else: once the scammer withdraws the funds, recovery becomes very difficult.
2. Report to the police. File the report through the ECRM cybercrime system at ecrm.police.go.kr, or call 112. For most fraud cases you will then need to visit a police station in person to complete the report and obtain an official confirmation document (an incident report or case receipt).
3. Apply for the refund. Take the police confirmation back to your bank and ask them to begin the refund procedure under the Telecommunications Financial Fraud Victims Refund Act. Keep every receipt, message, and reference number from the steps above.

How recovery actually works

The refund framework is built around speed and the account freeze, not around catching the criminal. When you report a voice phishing or telecom financial fraud transfer, your bank (with the FSS and police) can place a temporary payment suspension on the recipient account so the scammer cannot move the money. If police confirm it as a phishing crime, the suspension is extended and any balance still sitting in that account can be refunded to victims under the Telecommunications Financial Fraud Victims Refund Act, without you having to sue. The catch is timing: organised fraud rings move money out within minutes, so anything you recover depends almost entirely on how quickly the freeze goes in. If the funds have already been withdrawn or pushed through crypto or virtual accounts, there is usually nothing left in the account to return, and recovery shifts to a slow criminal investigation.

What to have ready

• The exact bank, account number, and name you sent money to, plus the amount and time of each transfer.
• Your own bank account and transaction records or screenshots showing the payments.
• The phone number(s) the scammer called or messaged from, and any KakaoTalk or SMS messages.
• Any links, apps, or remote-access software you were told to install (do not delete them).
• Your ID, and a foreign-language interpreter line if needed (the FSS 1332 service offers foreign-language support).
• The police confirmation document once your report is filed, for the refund claim.

Frequently asked questions

Should I call my bank or the police first?
Call your bank and the FSS on 1332 first to freeze the money. Reporting to the police on 112 or through ECRM is essential too, but the account freeze is what actually preserves your funds, and every minute counts.

I am a foreigner and do not speak Korean. Can I still report?
Yes. The police 112 line and the FSS 1332 line offer interpretation support, and ECRM is the official national reporting channel. Bring a Korean-speaking friend or request an interpreter when you visit the police station to complete the report.

I authorised the transfer myself for an investment or romance scam. Can I get a refund?
The fast-track refund and account-freeze process is designed for voice phishing and telecom financial fraud. Scams where you were manipulated into approving the payment are harder to recover and usually proceed as a criminal investigation, so report them quickly all the same and preserve every record.

Sources

• Korean National Police Agency, ECRM cybercrime reporting system (ecrm.police.go.kr)
• Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) English homepage, fraud reporting and the 1332 hotline
• Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA), internet incident reporting and the 118 hotline
• Korean National Police Agency (112 emergency reporting)

For step-by-step reporting and recovery guides covering other countries, see our cybercrime help hub.