“I will help you meet aspiring idols”… Fraudster who stole 600 million won

A group of people who swindled hundreds of millions of won from victims by using opposite-sex encounters as bait has been handed over to trial.

The Ulsan District Prosecutor's Office announced in April that it had arrested and indicted Mr. A, the head of the investment fraud organization, on charges of telecommunications financial fraud and violating the Electronic Financial Transactions Act, and had indicted five members of the organization, including the executive and fund receivers, who participated in the crime without detention.

They were found to have committed the crime after approaching six people, including Mr. B, in his 50s, through social media over a period of about a year starting in September of last year and encouraging them to sign up for membership on a specific site by offering to match them with aspiring idols or influencers.

Victims who signed up were asked to participate in betting games, saying that they could only meet the person they wanted by raising their level. In the beginning, only a small game participation fee was remitted and the profits were paid straight away, but it was revealed that after the betting amount increased, he received the profits and disappeared. It was confirmed that the amount they extorted from the victims amounted to 600 million won.

The prosecution said, "This case is an organized crime with roles divided into the overall plan, the execution plan, and the money laundering plan," and added, "The nature of the crime is very bad in that it not only caused financial damage to the victim but also violated the Electronic Financial Transactions Act and the Telecommunications Business Act."

Attorney Seo Bong-ha of Daeryun Law Firm, who represented Mr. B, advised, "The method of inducing people to sign up for a site under the pretense of meeting the opposite sex, as in this case, and inducing repeated remittances under the pretext of increasing ratings and guaranteed profits is a typical investment inducement-type deception method. Even if actual profits are initially returned, it is highly likely to be a typical fraud, so if requests for funds are repeated, you should immediately seek advice from the police or a legal expert."

He continued, "Recently, it has evolved beyond simple scams disguised as dating to complex forms such as inducing investment or participating in virtual games under the pretense of matching the opposite sex," and added, "The method of repeatedly asking for money after forming emotional trust is a typical deception method similar to a romance scam. If you suspect damage, it is important to quickly seek help from a legal expert."

Reporter Hwang Jeong-won (jwhwang@mt.co.kr)

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"I will help you meet an aspiring idol"... Fraudster who stole 600 million won (Shortcut)