Voice phishing victims, apply for living expense support of up to $1500 (2000000 KRW)

The Financial Supervisory Service building in Yeouido, Seoul. Kyunghyang Shinmun file photo

The Financial Supervisory Service and the financial sector will provide living expense support and psychological counseling for voice phishing victims.

On the 9th, the FSS announced that it had signed the ‘Back to Daily Life’ business agreement to support the economic and psychological recovery of voice phishing victims, together with the Korea Federation of Banks·Credit Finance Association·Korea Federation of Savings Banks·Good Neighbors.

They will provide living expenses of up to $1,500 (2,000,000 KRW) per person to around 200 victims who suffered voice phishing within the past three years and whose income is at or below 150% of the median income. In addition, through partner institutions nationwide, they will offer up to six sessions of professional psychological counseling per person.

The living expense support will be provided in two stages: up to $750 (1,000,000 KRW) initially, and up to $750 (1,000,000 KRW) as a second payment upon completing the counseling (six sessions).

With an application form, a certificate verifying the incident, and documents proving median income status, applications may be submitted through the Good Neighbors secretariat starting on the 23rd. Beneficiaries will be selected through screening, and the program will run until October year. However, the period may be shortened if the budget is exhausted.

Based on the pilot results from this year, the FSS plans to expand the program across the financial sector.

Park Ji-seon, Director General of the FSS Financial Consumer Protection Department, said, “We expect this to serve as a solid stepping stone for restoring the economic and psychological well-being of voice phishing victims.”