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Representatives from the National Police Agency, KB Financial Group, and the Credit Counseling and Recovery Service pose for a commemorative photograph after executing a joint memorandum of understanding aimed at establishing comprehensive credit, legal, and psychological recovery networks for voice phishing victims on May 29. / Photo via National Police Agency

The National Police Agency is launching a public-private cooperative framework to facilitate credit rehabilitation and psychological healing for victims of telecommunications financial fraud, such as voice phishing.

The National Police Agency announced on May 29 that it has executed a joint memorandum of understanding with KB Financial Group and the Credit Counseling and Recovery Service (CCRS) to deploy a comprehensive victim support program beginning June 1.

The tri-party agreement was engineered to resolve the compounding debt obligations of individuals facing acute economic hardship due to telecommunications fraud, while simultaneously accelerating their emotional and mental recovery. The support initiatives will be financed through a dedicated charitable fund endowed by KB Financial Group. Operationally, the CCRS will manage financial consulting and credit restructuring for the victims, while those presenting signs of severe psychological distress will be seamlessly funneled to specialized therapeutic institutions.

Law enforcement authorities emphasize that voice phishing casualties rarely suffer from isolated monetary losses. Beyond the immediate financial damage, victims frequently endure prolonged emotional trauma, including debilitating guilt, shame, anxiety, and social withdrawal. The initiative was conceptualized on the premise that fraud victims require structured psychological intervention and recovery support on par with the assistance frameworks traditionally reserved for casualties of violent crimes.

Under the new protocol, telecommunications fraud victims can initiate a request for credit consulting via the official CCRS mobile application. Applicants will then receive tailored, complimentary one-on-one telephonic consultations with professional counselors covering credit management strategies, structural debt adjustment programs, and state welfare resources.

If severe emotional distress is identified during the initial assessment phase, the applicant will be provided with professional psychological services through specialized agencies such as the Employee Assistance Program Association of Korea. The mental health intervention will initially consist of a telephonic intake session to gauge the victim's psychological equilibrium, followed by direct placement with clinical psychologists, therapists, or mental health coaches. These therapeutic sessions will be conducted either in person or via remote digital platforms, depending on the victim's individual circumstances.

The National Police Agency expects this collaborative framework to mark a definitive paradigm shift, reframing financial fraud from a simple economic infraction into a systemic social injury that demands proactive victim protection and reintegration mechanisms.

"Telecommunications financial fraud transcends simple monetary loss; it is an invasive crime that deeply fractures the fundamental quality of a citizen's life," stated Oh Chang-bae, Director General of the Telecommunications Financial Fraud Integrated Response Task Force at the National Police Agency. "Through this multi-agency partnership, we will continuously scale up substantive, actionable support programs alongside our institutional stakeholders to ensure that victims can structurally rebuild their financial and psychological well-being."

Director General Oh also urged public vigilance, adding, "If you receive any suspicious phone calls or digital messages, please do not hesitate to immediately report the incident to our dedicated hotline at 1394."

                                                                                                           Seol So-young