Cheil, Korean National Police Agency turn scam call voices into criminal evidence with VOICE WANTED
South Korea has launched a nationwide campaign to fight phone scams by targeting the voices of fraudsters. The VOICE WANTED initiative, led by the Korean National Police Agency and advertising firm Cheil, encourages the public to report recordings of suspicious calls. Authorities hope this will help identify criminals and reduce the rising financial losses caused by such scams.
The campaign focuses on collecting voice samples from scammers to build a stronger voice analysis system. By comparing reported call recordings with existing criminal voice files, police aim to track down suspects and prevent future fraud. The effort is led by Yoon Hee-keun, with Acting Commissioner Yoo Jae-sung emphasising the need to expose increasingly sophisticated scam tactics.
Fourteen thousand posters featuring waveform graphs of scammers' voices have been distributed across police stations, banks, ATMs, and government offices. Cheil also produced promotional materials, including a film demonstrating real scam call methods, to raise public awareness. The goal is not only to catch individual fraudsters but also to dismantle larger crime syndicates linked to phone scams. Phone scams in South Korea have surged, with losses nearly doubling in a year to exceed 1 trillion won ($680 million) in 2025. The VOICE WANTED campaign seeks to reverse this trend by improving arrest rates and expanding the database of criminal voiceprints.
The initiative relies on public participation to gather more voice samples and strengthen law enforcement’s ability to combat fraud. As the campaign progresses, authorities expect to uncover additional crimes and disrupt organised scam operations. The success of VOICE WANTED could lead to fewer victims and reduced financial losses from phone scams.
