[Exclusive] Korean fraud ring behind illegal bank accounts busted

[Anchor]

What these criminal groups need the most is a proxy bank account.

A group has been arrested on suspicion of setting up dozens of ghost companies in the country and opening proxy bank accounts.

It has been identified that a significant number of these proxy accounts were transferred to overseas criminal organizations, such as those in Cambodia, and were used to siphon money from scam victims.

This is an exclusive report by reporter Choi In-young.

[Report]

Inside an officetel, dozens of bankbooks and USBs are scattered around.

Seals necessary for opening bank accounts are also found everywhere.

This is the office of a 20-something mastermind who opened proxy bank accounts and handed them over to criminal organizations involved in scams like stock chat room fraud.

The joint investigation team for voice phishing crimes has arrested nine members of the organization, including the mastermind and distributors, and six of them have been detained.

["We are executing a search warrant and seizing mobile phones."]

The mastermind recruited acquaintances to set up 26 ghost companies and opened bank accounts, promising a fee of 1 to 3 million won per account.

They even made the account holders memorize a manual to prepare for questions from bank employees.

A total of 18 proxy bank accounts were opened in this manner.

Many of these accounts were transferred to overseas criminal organizations, such as those in Cambodia, and were used to defraud victims in investment chat rooms.

The amount of money that flowed through these accounts has reached 30 billion won.

[Oh Young-hoon/Head of Police Investigation Team, Joint Investigation Team for Voice Phishing Crimes: "Recently, we have confirmed that proxy bank accounts have been circulated to scam organizations operating in Cambodia, and we are actively investigating that aspect as well."]

In fact, they even confirmed that to evade investigation, a member who was questioned first obtained police investigation materials through a request for information disclosure and provided coaching to other members who were about to be questioned.

The joint investigation team is expanding its investigation into accomplices, including account holders and distributors.

This is KBS News, Choi In-young.