The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s wide-area investigation unit has returned about 26.3 billion Korean won in voice-phishing proceeds to around 1,100 victims, with its detailed tally putting the total at 1,137. Police identified victims after confirming in early 2023 that large sums had been frozen in virtual-asset accounts used in voice-phishing crimes and suspended from trading. Investigators traced fund flows through about 1,000 frozen exchange accounts and roughly 160,000 bank accounts; earlier case records specified 1,050 exchange wallets and approximately 163,000 bank accounts. The funds had been held at South Korea’s five largest virtual asset exchanges, where legal and information-sharing limits made refunds difficult. The revised Telecommunications Fraud Damage Relief Act, set to take effect on the 1st of next month, will allow freezes and refunds through exchanges when phishing proceeds are converted into virtual assets. Police are also investigating 130 account holders after finding that about 3.04 billion Korean won in criminal proceeds was withdrawn when account freezes expired.