If You’ve Sent Money — Steps to Take After a Scam
Audition scams
A step-by-step guide to requesting a payment suspension, preserving evidence, reporting to the police, and preventing follow-up scams after sending money for audition fees or a deposit.
1. Contact your bank and call 112 immediately
Tell the bank you sent the money (the bank’s customer service line or the bank that holds the recipient’s account), the police at 112, and the Financial Supervisory Service at 1332 about the scam, and request a payment suspension. The longer you wait, the more likely the money is to be withdrawn and become difficult to recover.
- Scams disguised as purchases or services, such as audition fees or lesson fees, may not qualify for payment suspension under the voice phishing victim reimbursement procedure. Still, notify the bank first and ask the police to investigate by filing a report.
2. Preserve the evidence
- Transfer records, the recipient’s account number, and the account holder’s name
- Screenshots of conversations, the other person’s profile, ID and phone number, and the URL of the listing
- Take screenshots before the other person deletes the conversation or closes their account.
3. Report it to the police
File a report through the National Police Agency’s Cybercrime Reporting System (ecrm.police.go.kr) or at a nearby police station. The Incident Confirmation Certificate, issued after you file a report, can be used to apply to the bank for victim relief. If you requested a payment suspension, submit an application for victim relief within the deadline specified by the bank (usually 3 days).
4. Prevent further losses
- Messages like “Send a fee and we’ll refund you” or “Pay an additional deposit to get your money back” are follow-up scams.
- If you sent a copy of your ID or bankbook, notify your bank and register with the Financial Supervisory Service’s Personal Information Exposure Accident Prevention System.
- If you installed a remote-control app at the other person’s request or an unfamiliar app, delete it and have your phone checked.
5. Report it to StagePass
If you report it through the app’s scam reporting feature, the account will be temporarily suspended while it is reviewed, and the operations team will investigate.
Source: 금융감독원
Translated from Korean by StagePass. The Korean original is authoritative.