Personal Account Transfers Received and Contact Lost
Victims Continue to Emerge... Damage Amounting to 10 Million Won
Consumers Can Request Refunds from Landlords
Landlords Can Also File Criminal Complaints Against Employees
Using Verified Platforms Is Also a Method
Employee A of the accommodation business contacted consumers who made reservations through the accommodation platform using the company's shared mobile phone. A transferred the reservation deposit to a personal account under the pretext of platform fees and is currently no longer employed. [Asia Economy Reporter Oh Gyumin] Mr. Hwang (26) experienced an absurd situation during his vacation on the 13th. When he went to the accommodation he had booked two weeks earlier, the accommodation staff said he had been "scammed" and mentioned, "About 10 groups turned back just today." Mr. Hwang and his party were unable to secure lodging in Busan that day, so they moved to Ulsan to stay overnight and have yet to receive a refund of approximately 530,000 KRW for the accommodation fee. Mr. Hwang said, "If there were people who had been scammed before, they should have at least contacted us, but there was no such measure, and since they said they have no money to pay immediately, I feel helpless," adding, "This is the first time I've experienced something like this, so I don't know how to respond."
Cases of accommodation businesses receiving reservation deposits via personal accounts and then disappearing with the money ("meoktwi") are occurring. Although refunds can be requested and civil/criminal resolutions are possible, consumers need to be cautious by using verified platforms when making reservations. According to victims, this fraudulent act was committed by an employee A of the accommodation business. A mainly approached consumers who booked accommodations with high reservation deposits. When consumers, including Mr. Hwang, made reservations through accommodation platforms, A contacted them using a company-dedicated mobile phone. A proposed that consumers transfer money to his account in exchange for waiving platform fees. Consequently, consumers transferred the reservation deposit minus 10,000 to 20,000 KRW from the platform amount. The account was an internet bank account, and the depositor's name differed from A's real name, suggesting the possibility of accomplices. A resigned on the 4th and has since been unreachable.
Employee A at a lodging business contacted consumers who made reservations through a lodging platform using the company's shared mobile phone. A used the platform commission as bait to receive reservation deposits into a personal account and is currently no longer employed. The accommodation business claims they are unfairly accused. The company stated, "The scam was committed using the accommodation's dedicated mobile phone for reservation responses. All text messages and call logs were deleted." They added, "Since this happened while the employee was working, we cannot say we bear no responsibility, but the damage amount is large, and as a small business, we currently have no way to provide refunds or other measures." According to the company, 18 people were victimized by A's "meoktwi" act, with damages amounting to about 10 million KRW.
Experts say victims can sufficiently demand refunds from the accommodation. Lawyer Kim Seonghoon (Kim Seonghoon Law Office) said, "Under the principle of apparent agency, victims can directly demand contract fulfillment from the lessor," adding, "It is common sense and legally appropriate that consumers can hold lessors legally responsible. Victims can file charges against the employee for fraud, and the lessor can sue for breach of trust, embezzlement, or other charges."
There is also a way to apply for damage relief through the Korea Consumer Agency. This procedure handles complaints through counseling when consumers experience inconvenience or damage while using goods or services provided by businesses. Before suffering damage, consumers may be safer using verified accommodation platforms. Airbnb, a representative accommodation platform, stated, "If you are asked to make payments outside the platform, you cannot receive protection under Airbnb's cancellation and refund policies, host damage compensation, host liability insurance, terms of use, payment service terms, and other safety measures. Therefore, payments or communications outside the platform are prohibited by our terms. We encourage immediate reporting of such violations to Airbnb to help prevent similar cases," they said.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
