"A Google gift card? I heard there is such a thing, but I only give you 400,000 won."



Around 2:50 pm on the 11th of last month, Kim (25), the owner of a convenience store in Manan-gu, Anyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, heard suspicious words from A (64), a middle-aged woman who came to the store.



Mr. A stared at her cell phone screen one after another as if she was sending and receiving her text messages with someone, and while she ordered an expensive gift card, she stuttered as if she didn't know exactly what it was used for.



When Mr. Kim took out her gift card and asked where she was using it, Mr. A said, "She decided to play a game with her daughter," she mumbled.



At the moment when Mr. Kim felt strange, Mr. A said that his cell phone battery was running out and asked to charge it.



In the text message, someone impersonating her daughter said, "Your phone is broken and you are borrowing someone else's, so please buy a gift card of 800,000 won and send it with a picture of the serial number on the back."



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It was seen as one of the typical phone financial fraud tactics.



According to police, the scammers said, "Mom, what are you doing? Are you busy?"

By sending a message like this, they trick you into sending money as if you were a family member or acquaintance.



Avoid making calls with excuses such as 'my phone is broken'.



Recently, there is an increasing number of methods that ask for a pin number (code) after purchasing a cultural gift certificate or Google gift card that can be used without personal authentication.



Knowing this fact, Mr. Kim told Mr. A, "It seems that the content of the text is not your daughter's," but Mr. A said, "If there is a problem, I will just go." He still did not suspect the possibility of fraud.



In response, Mr. Kim caught Mr. A who was about to leave the convenience store and called 112, saying, "Charge your phone a little more."



The police officers who were dispatched informed Mr. A that it was a typical fraud method and installed a damage prevention app, and Mr. A only then found out that he had suffered damage and expressed his gratitude.



Kim said, "As gift card fraud mainly occurs at convenience stores, it will be of great help in preventing crime if convenience store workers pay attention and look closely."



Meanwhile, Gyeonggi Anyang Bay Police Station selected Kim as a 'phishing keeper' and delivered a letter of appreciation.



'Phishing Keeper' is a name given to citizens who have helped prevent voice phishing damage and arrest criminals.



(Photo = Provided by Gyeonggi Nambu Police Agency, Yonhap News)