The average financial damage from voice phishing scams in the first quarter nearly doubled from a year ago, reaching 53 million won.

According to the National Office of Investigation under the National Police Agency on Sunday, a total of five-thouand-878 phishing scams were reported in the first three months of the year.

The total financial loss amounted to 311-point-six billion won during this period, reflecting a 120 percent increase from a year ago, with the average damage soaring 188 percent from 28-point-13 million won to 53 million won.

Police attributed the increased financial losses to a rise in scams involving impersonation of financial institutions or public offices, as well as increasingly sophisticated fraudulent schemes.

Authorities also noted that victims are predominantly individuals aged 50 and older, many of whom tend to have greater assets and are relatively more vulnerable to IT-based scams.