"Not Found on TheCheat"... Stealth-Type Used Goods Transaction Scam Victims Snowballing

Rapid Increase in Fraud Cases Involving Secondhand Purchases of Trending Model Sneakers and Apparel
Damage Amount Reaches 12.1 Billion Won from the 1st to the 27th of This Month

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Sehee] Park (29), who lives in Cheonan, saw a post a month ago on the used goods trading site Naver Cafe Junggonara selling a ‘Nike Dunk Low Bump Whale’ product for 170,000 won. The seller, who identified themselves as ‘Lee ㅇㅇ,’ admitted to some defects in the product and was willing to negotiate the price from 170,000 won down to 150,000 won and then 135,000 won.

To verify if the seller was genuine, Park asked them to clean the dirt on the shoes and send additional photos. The seller actively responded by sending real-time additional pictures.

Before making the payment, Park searched the seller’s phone number on ‘The Cheat,’ a financial fraud prevention service. Finding no record of fraud, Park felt reassured and transferred 135,000 won to the account number. However, two days after the payment, contact with the seller was lost. Park immediately reported the case to the Cheonan Seobuk Police Station, but the perpetrator has not been caught.

Fraudulent activities exploiting loopholes in the ‘The Cheat’ system, which is operated to prevent scam transactions, are increasing. From the 1st to the 27th of this month, 19,035 cases of damage were registered on The Cheat, with total losses amounting to 12.1 billion won.

Rapid Increase in Damage Cases... Products Include AirPods Max, Latest Trendy Sneakers, and More

Most scams are conducted in a short-term, hit-and-run manner to avoid being registered in The Cheat system, which would happen if the scammer operated over a long period.

In fact, it was confirmed that a person named Lee committed 14 fraud cases over two days from the 2nd to the 4th of this month, involving products such as AirPods Max, PlayStation 5 Disc Edition, and Nike Dunk Low Venice.

Considering the special circumstances of COVID-19, the likelihood of related crimes increasing in the future is high. From the 1st to the 27th of this month, 19,035 damage cases were registered on The Cheat, with total losses reaching 12.1 billion won.

Last year, online shopping spending reached a record high of 193 trillion won, and overseas direct purchase shopping also exceeded 5 trillion won, indicating active transactions. A police official stated, "As people carry less cash, violent crimes such as robbery and theft are decreasing, while invisible crimes like online transaction fraud and voice phishing are increasing."

Professor Kwak Daekyung of Dongguk University’s Police and Judicial College said, "In many cases, used goods trading sites only provide the platform, so the parties involved in transactions should always be aware that they are exposed to the risk of fraud," adding, "Rather than fully trusting sites like The Cheat, people should be cautious and actively report any damages afterward to prevent secondary harm."