Bithumb employee receives Seoul police chief commendation for helping fraud victims recover assets

Bithumb announced Tuesday that Oh Dae-seok, head of the market surveillance team at its investor protection division, received a commendation from the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency chief for his cooperation in an investigation into concealed criminal funds.

The commendation was presented on the occasion of the 81st Police Day, recognizing Oh's contribution to helping financial fraud victims recover their assets through cooperation with investigators.

Oh has worked with investigators to return unreturned victim assets remaining in accounts linked to financial incidents. He contacted account holders and victims to guide them through the return process, and helped ensure that residual assets in accounts with confirmed incident histories — regardless of whether those accounts were frozen — could be returned to victims.

In September, Bithumb employees received the KB Gukmin Jikimi Award and a commendation from the Korean National Police Agency chief for their contributions to preventing voice phishing and helping victims recover assets.

Bithumb has also been strengthening its customer consultation services. The exchange became the first domestic cryptocurrency platform to introduce a speech-to-text-based consultation support service, and operates phone and chat support around the clock, 365 days a year. In-person consultations are also available at its Bithumb Lounge Gangnam branch.

"Voice phishing can happen to anyone, which is why prevention and swift response are paramount," a Bithumb official said. "If you become a victim, report it immediately to the police and your financial institution, and contact the Bithumb customer center for guidance on the relief process."

Meanwhile, Bithumb has designated the second Wednesday of every month as "Information Security Day" and runs regular security awareness campaigns. This month's campaign focused on preventing secondary fraud involving the misuse of leaked personal information.