BTS member Jungkook was reportedly targeted by an international hacking organization involved in large-scale financial crimes. Fortunately, no actual monetary damage occurred thanks to his agency’s rapid response.
On May 21, the Cyber Investigation Division of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency announced that it had arrested an international hacking group accused of stealing financial and personal information from celebrities and wealthy individuals through SIM card cloning and illegally opened budget phone accounts. Authorities stated that 32 members of the organization, including two Chinese nationals believed to be the ringleaders, will be sequentially referred to prosecutors on charges including violations of the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes.
According to police, the group hacked government agencies, public institutions, and private websites between May 2022 and April of last year to obtain personal and financial information. They then allegedly duplicated victims’ SIM cards or illegally opened low-cost mobile phone accounts under victims’ names. Using the stolen authentication data, the group reportedly gained access to victims’ bank accounts and cryptocurrency wallets.
Investigators revealed that the organization primarily targeted high-profile figures and wealthy individuals who would have difficulty responding immediately, including people staying overseas, serving in the military, or incarcerated. Among the victims were reportedly 12 celebrities and influencers, including Jungkook, as well as executives and owners of major corporations.
Jungkook was also identified as one of the hacking targets. However, after detecting suspicious activity, his agency reportedly took immediate action, preventing the incident from escalating into actual financial damage.
Police explained that a total of 271 individuals had their personal and financial information leaked through the scheme. Of those, 28 victims either suffered actual monetary losses or were on the verge of becoming victims. The total scale of the damages, including attempted thefts, was estimated at approximately ₩73.4 billion KRW. Authorities stated that around ₩48.4 billion KRW was successfully stolen by the group.
After an investigation spanning nearly four years, police arrested the ringleaders in Thailand before extraditing them to South Korea. Through cooperation with financial institutions, authorities also recovered approximately ₩21.3 billion KRW in damages. In addition, investigators shared details of the hacking methods through Interpol’s international cooperation network and are currently working with telecommunications companies and related agencies to establish additional preventive measures against future attacks.
Sources: Daum
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