South Korea targets youth gambling through bank transfers
KakaoBank and Toss Bank will use police intelligence to flag suspicious accounts, block certain transfers and connect at-risk teenagers with counselling services.
Key takeaways:
- The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, KakaoBank and Toss Bank will launch the Youth Digital Safety System on 2 November.
- The agreement enables police to share verified accounts suspected of links to illegal gambling with both banks.
- Toss Bank will display risk warnings and notify guardians by text if users under 17 proceed with flagged transfers.
- KakaoBank will block underage transfers to suspicious corporate accounts identified through its verification procedures.
- Banking app warnings will link users to the 117 counselling hotline, connecting at-risk teenagers with School Police Officers and specialist support services.
South Korea.- The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with digital banks KakaoBank Corp and Toss Bankto aimed at preventing online gambling among teenagers through real-time financial transaction intervention. Signed on October 29, the agreement comes ahead of the roll out of the Youth Digital Safety System on November 2. Under the mechanism, police will notify the banks about verified accounts suspected of being tied to illegal gambling, allowing the platforms to intervene before minors complete monetary transfers.
The intervention model uses internal Fraud Detection Systems (FDS) integrated with police intelligence. Toss Bank will display high-risk warnings when a young user attempts to send money to a flagged account. If a user under 17 proceeds despite the alert, the app will send a text notification to their guardian. KakaoBank will block underage transfers to corporate accounts identified as suspicious through its verification protocols. If a flagged account belongs to an account holder at either bank, the holder may be required to verify the origin and purpose of their funds before deposits and withdrawals are suspended.
The banking apps will also incorporate direct access to counselling services. Every pop-up warning will feature a button routing users to the 117 counselling hotline, connecting at-risk youth with School Police Officers (SPOs) and specialised entities such as the Korea Centre on Gambling Problems.
Commenting on the initiative, Yun Ho-young, CEO of KakaoBank, stated: “Since online gambling among teenagers can lead directly to financial harm and crime, early prevention and appropriate support are important.”
Lee Eun-mi, CEO of Toss Bank, said: “Since 2.03 million underage customers use Toss Bank for their financial needs, we will approach the task of protecting young people from the dangers of gambling with a strong sense of responsibility.”
