"Petition to Cheong Demands Eradication of Used Car Fraud That Took Life of 60s Family Head"

A petition urging the eradication of used car fraud was posted on the Blue House National Petition Board on the 13th. The photo is unrelated to the article content.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Choyoung] A petition to the Blue House demanding the eradication of used car fraud has emerged following the revelation of a story about a man in his 60s who took his own life after suffering from false used car listings and forced sales.

According to the Blue House petition board on the 18th, a post titled "Please eradicate false listings that took the life of a victim in his 60s" was uploaded on the 13th.

The petitioner wrote, "The dealers with false listings confiscated the victim's phone and driver's license and forced him to buy a 2 million won vehicle for 7 million won," adding, "Although the Chungbuk police arrested the gang on the 11th, unless they are completely eradicated, second and third victims will continue to appear."

They also added, "Please strengthen related laws so that used car fraud can be eradicated."

A petition urging the eradication of used car scams was posted on the Blue House National Petition Board on the 13th. Photo by Blue House National Petition Board screenshot

The Chungbuk Provincial Police Agency discovered a suicide note on the mobile phone of a victim in his 60s who died after purchasing a used car in Incheon in February, stating that he was deceived and forced to buy a car by a used car sales group, and conducted an intensive investigation for two months. Subsequently, four people including A (24) were arrested on charges of fraud, and 22 others were booked without detention on the same charges.

A and others, who systematically divided roles such as team leader, telemarketer, dispatch team, and false dealers, are suspected of posting false listings cheaper than online market prices to lure the victim, B in his 60s, and then forcibly selling a vehicle with much poorer performance than the one posted online at a price higher than the market price.

They reportedly confined B, who had no money to buy another vehicle, in the car for about eight hours and forced him to take out a loan and sign a contract blindly. In his suicide note, Mr. Choi wrote, "I signed the contract more than a hundred times until my fingers cramped."

The police are investigating on the grounds that A and others gained unfair profits worth about 600 million won from about 50 victims using these methods from December last year to March this year.