Daejeon City Reports 983 Cases of Jeonse Fraud... Operating 'Victim Support Center' and Response Measures

The task force dedicated to rental deposit fraud victims in Daejeon will be transformed and operated as the "Rental Deposit Fraud Victim Support Center" (hereinafter referred to as the Support Center).

Daejeon City announced on the 16th that the Support Center will begin operations from the 20th of this month. The Support Center will be organized and operated with a total of 10 members, including one employee from the Housing and Urban Guarantee Corporation (HUG), supported by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and two judicial scriveners. Its main roles include professional legal consultation, financial support, and lease-related counseling.

As of this month, Support Centers are operating in Seoul, Gyeonggi, Incheon, and Busan. Daejeon is the fifth city to operate a Support Center.

Earlier, in June, Daejeon City formed a dedicated task force in line with the enforcement of the "Special Act on Support for Rental Deposit Fraud Victims," handling victim reception and counseling.

Additionally, in July and October, the city operated a "Visiting Rental Deposit Fraud Counseling Desk," conducting 1,757 consultations on-site, while simultaneously providing emergency housing support for rental deposit victims, youth monthly rent support projects, financial support guidance, rental deposit fraud prevention education, and crackdowns and special inspections on illegal brokerage activities in university dormitory-dense areas and multi-unit housing.

Furthermore, with the operation of the Support Center, Daejeon City expects to establish a close cooperative system with central government ministries, enabling rapid application of government policies on the ground and effectively responding to rental deposit fraud prevention and victim support.

As of the 10th, a total of 983 rental deposit fraud cases have been reported in Daejeon. Among these, 809 cases were requested for review by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, with 577 cases receiving victim status decisions from the Ministry. Additionally, 190 cases are currently under review by the Ministry. On the other hand, 42 cases have not been approved in the Ministry’s review.

Regarding the status of local rental deposit fraud victims, those in their 20s and 30s account for more than 85% of the total, and the proportion of rental deposit fraud in multi-family and multi-unit housing is relatively higher than in other regions.

Compared to the national average of 13% for the proportion of multi-family housing relative to the total number of houses, Daejeon’s rate is 34%, showing a high level of rental deposit fraud cases in multi-family housing.

In this regard, a Daejeon City official emphasized the necessity of verifying the confirmed date and deposit amount of senior leaseholders when signing lease contracts.

Park Pil-woo, Director of the Urban Housing Bureau of Daejeon City, said, “Once the Support Center operates, any citizen will be able to receive one-stop legal consultation and victim support,” adding, “Daejeon City is currently considering practical support measures for rental deposit fraud victims.”