Personal Data for Sale: Wedding and Funeral Notices Traded in Open Chat Rooms

Illegal brokers in South Korea are trading personal information harvested from digital wedding invitations and obituaries through open chat rooms, according to reporting from Daum on May 2, 2026.

The trade involves the sale of specific, high-context personal data used to facilitate targeted fraud. In these chat rooms, a single wedding invitation, which often includes photos of the bride and groom, is sold for 1,000 won. Obituaries, which contain the mobile phone number of the chief mourner, family relationship details, and bank account numbers for condolences, are traded for 500 won.

The Mechanics of the Data Trade

The brokers operate within open chat platforms, where they aggregate and sell sensitive information extracted from digital notifications. Unlike bulk data leaks involving millions of random entries, this trade focuses on high-quality data that provides a direct social connection between the target and the sender.

The data points being traded include:

• Wedding invitations: Names of the couple, wedding photos, and event locations.
• Obituaries: Names of the deceased and the chief mourner, mobile phone numbers, family ties, and bank account numbers.

This specific information is highly valued by criminal organizations because it allows for a more convincing approach in smishing and voice phishing attacks. By using real names and current life events, scammers can impersonate acquaintances or family members to deceive victims into clicking malicious links or transferring funds.

Application in Targeted Smishing

Security experts note that the use of obituaries is particularly effective for fraud due to the urgency and emotional state of the recipients. When a victim receives a message containing the correct name of a deceased acquaintance and the legitimate phone number of a mourner, the likelihood of trusting the message increases.

Scammers often use this purchased data to send messages that appear to be official updates or requests for condolence money, leading victims to sites that steal financial credentials or install malware on their devices.

Legal and Regulatory Implications

The sale and purchase of this information constitute a violation of the Personal Information Protection Act in South Korea. The law prohibits the provision of personal information to a third party without the consent of the data subject, as well as the acquisition of such information through fraudulent or improper means.

Authorities have increased monitoring of open chat rooms to identify both the brokers selling the data and the buyers utilizing it for criminal activities. Under current regulations, those found guilty of trading personal information for profit can face significant fines or imprisonment.

The rise of this shadow market coincides with the widespread adoption of mobile-based invitations and notifications. While these digital tools offer convenience, they often lack the security protocols necessary to prevent the scraping and redistribution of the sensitive data they contain.