KB Financial Group will expand voice phishing prevention education for older people in rural areas with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

KB Financial said on Thursday it will run season 2 of its "outreach voice phishing prevention education" program in 15 rural cities and counties nationwide.

The education is a public-private-academic cooperation program linking the ministry’s university student rural talent-sharing activities with KB Financial’s financial fraud prevention content and the "KB Good Food Truck". Following season 1, which operated in 5 cities and counties last year, it expanded the target areas to 15 cities and counties this year.

The program begins on Wednesday in Gumi, North Gyeongsang province, and will be rolled out sequentially in rural areas nationwide. The university student volunteer group will conduct talent-sharing activities including voice phishing prevention education as well as basic health check-ups, traditional medicine treatment and cultural and arts experiences. KB Financial will provide prevention materials and on-site support.

The education materials focus on 11 of the latest phishing methods, including impersonation of investigative agencies and public offices, refinancing loan scams, impersonation of card companies, child kidnapping threats and smishing. It also provides guidance to end calls immediately in suspicious situations and report to the integrated reporting number for telecom financial fraud, 1394.

A KB Financial official said, "As voice phishing methods become increasingly sophisticated, it is becoming more important to prevent harm to older people in areas with low access to financial safety information."