"Can I Borrow Your Phone for a Moment?"... 20s Arrested for Stealing SIM Chip and Embezzling 7 Million Won

Converting Game Items Purchased with USIM Chips into Cash
Also Committing Crimes Using the Same Method Against Restaurant Owners

A man in his 20s was arrested by the police for stealing a SIM card after borrowing a mobile phone briefly and making small payments.

On the 31st, the Masan Dongbu Police Station in Gyeongnam arrested a man in his 20s, Mr. A, on charges of secretly removing a SIM card (a chip containing subscriber information) from an acquaintance's mobile phone and making small payments under the SIM card owner's name.

From April to June, Mr. A borrowed mobile phones briefly from six different acquaintances he met at bars and other places, then secretly removed their SIM cards. Using these SIM cards, he purchased game items and gift certificates 52 times, converting them into cash and embezzling about 7 million won.

Mr. A's crime was uncovered when an acquaintance found suspicious charges on their bill for payments they did not make and reported it to the police. During the investigation, Mr. A stated, "I committed the crime because I needed living expenses." Mr. A, who has a previous fraud record, is also known to have recently committed similar SIM card thefts targeting restaurant owners in the Hapgo district of Masan. The police are currently investigating additional offenses by Mr. A.

Meanwhile, caution is advised when using mobile banking on phones, as theft of a SIM card can lead to significant damage.

Last month, a man in his 30s, Mr. B, was arrested by the police for stealing a SIM card from an intoxicated person’s phone and attempting to transfer money and take out loans from the victim’s account. On the 6th of last month, around 2 a.m., Mr. B approached a drunken person who had collapsed at the entrance of an apartment in Nam-gu, Gwangju, removed the SIM card from the victim’s phone, inserted it into his own phone, and withdrew about 23 million won from the victim’s mobile bank account.

There have also been past incidents where SIM cards were stolen from others’ phones left in places like swimming pool changing rooms, followed by small payments. To prevent such damage, mobile phones should never be left unattended, even for a short time. Additionally, subscribing to telecommunication companies’ supplementary services that block small payments can prevent others from making small payments even if the SIM card is lost.