South Korea Tax Agency Warns of Phishing Scams Targeting Crypto Taxpayers

South Korea's tax agency has issued a public warning about phishing attempts targeting cryptocurrency taxpayers. The National Tax Service (NTS) detected malicious emails disguised as official guidance on virtual asset taxation, which have already led to personal data leaks in some cases.

The NTS said the fraudulent emails use subject lines such as 'Notice of Pre-Explanation of Virtual Asset Taxation' to trick recipients into clicking malicious links or opening attachments. The agency urged taxpayers not to click any embedded links or download attachments, as doing so could compromise personal information and potentially lead to financial fraud.

The alert comes as South Korea prepares to implement a 20% tax on virtual asset gains exceeding 2.5 million won (approximately $1,800) per year, starting January 2025. The tax was originally scheduled for 2022 but was delayed twice due to market volatility and public opposition.

The NTS emphasized that official communications would never request sensitive personal information via email or ask recipients to click external links for verification.