"Stole 7 Million Won Like Blood"... Suspicious Phone Borrowing by a 20s Couple

"Victimized by a Couple in Their 20s Who Stayed for 2 Weeks"

A new type of scam involving borrowing a mobile phone to withdraw bank account balances has emerged, causing controversy. The photo shows a customer suspected to be the suspect. Photo by Nate Pann board archive.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-ju] An owner of a lodging business in Incheon complained that 7 million won was withdrawn from their bank account while they briefly lent their mobile phone to a guest.

On the 4th, a post titled "I lost my hard-earned money to a new type of scam. Please read this once and provide any tips or help" was uploaded on the Nate Pann board.

A, who introduced themselves as operating a lodging business in Incheon, shared the absurd experience they went through last month.

On the evening of mid-January around 8:30 PM, a young couple in their 20s finished their two-week stay at A’s lodging business. As they checked out, they said, "My phone is dead," and borrowed A’s mobile phone.

At the guest’s urgent request to "send a text to a friend," A lent the phone without suspicion.

After lending the phone for about 10 minutes and getting it back, A checked the phone around 10 PM while busy working, only to find it was turned off and unresponsive.

The next afternoon, the phone returned to normal, and suspecting it might have been broken, A visited a service center for inspection and was told there was no problem.

Meanwhile, A received a text message from the bank stating that 7 million won had been withdrawn.

Shocked, A checked the balance and couldn’t believe their eyes. The money had been withdrawn from the account exactly at the time the guests borrowed the phone the previous evening.

Rushing to the bank for confirmation, A found out that the money had been transferred via an app to a post office account under the name Yu*deok. The bank, however, suspiciously questioned A, asking if they were involved in the crime.

In the post, A stated, "It is estimated that the phone became unresponsive starting from the last message sent by the guest at 8:47 PM," and added, "The time shown in red on the bank statement exactly matches this," sharing the bank statement and phone message history.

Withdrawal details of 7 million KRW from Mr. A's bank account. Photo by Nate Pann board capture.

Text messages exchanged by a guest who borrowed Mr. A's cellphone. Photo by Nate Pann capture.

A has collected all possible evidence, including CCTV footage from the lodging business, and reported the case to the police.

A said, "Though the amount may be small to some, it is truly the hope I have painstakingly saved. I suffer from nightmares every day and experience sleep paralysis. My emotions suddenly surge, and tears come out," and added, "It has already been almost a month since the incident, and I cannot just wait quietly for the police investigation, so I decided to write this post."

A also shared photos of the suspects obtained through the video and asked for any tips or information.