"Man Who Said 'I'm Broke Due to Strike, Please Lend Me Money' Turns Out to Be 'Impersonating a Doctor'"

40s Man Impersonating Doctor Commits Fraud via Dating App
40s Woman Scammed 8 Million KRW Over 36 Incidents
Crime Traced Due to Unauthorized Credit Card Use

A man who impersonated a doctor participating in a resident strike and extorted 8 million won from a woman he met on a dating application was sentenced to prison.

Image unrelated to the article content.
Photo by Getty Images

On the 19th, the prosecution requested a three-year prison sentence during the sentencing hearing for Mr. A (44) at the Seoul Northern District Court, Criminal Division 4, presided over by Judge Lee Chang-yeol at around 10:50 a.m. Mr. A is accused of fraud, theft, and violating the Specialized Credit Finance Act. He allegedly impersonated a doctor by sending photos of himself wearing a doctor's coat to a woman in her 40s, Ms. B, whom he met through a dating app, and embezzled approximately 8 million won over 36 occasions from December 21 of last year to the 28th of last month.

Mr. A also exploited the "doctor strike" to commit fraud. Initially borrowing money under the pretext of having no cash due to investments and savings, he later took advantage of the collective resignation of residents caused by the recent increase in medical school admissions, claiming he had no cash due to participating in the strike and extorted additional money. In addition to impersonation, he is also accused of unauthorized use of another person's credit card found on the floor at unmanned coffee shops and other stores between November and December last year, as well as deceiving someone in a secondhand marketplace transaction by pretending to sell gift certificates, embezzling 580,000 won.

The prosecution stated, "Although the defendant admits to the crimes and shows remorse, there are multiple similar offenses committed using the same method, and the crimes were committed immediately after release. No restitution or settlement has been made," explaining the reason for the sentence request. Mr. A's defense attorney said, "He admits all charges. While it is appropriate for Mr. A to be punished for his wrongdoing, he sincerely regrets and reflects on his actions and is making efforts not to repeat the same mistakes." Mr. A also acknowledged the charges in his final statement, saying, "Since these are my actions and mistakes, I will accept the punishment. However, I would appreciate some time to reach a settlement."

Mr. A's crimes were uncovered by the detective who arrested him in 2015. While tracking a suspect who used a stolen credit card to spend 40,000 won at an unmanned store, the police identified and arrested Mr. A. The detective who recognized Mr. A analyzed call records and discovered that he was still committing crimes in the same manner as before, leading to his arrest. It was confirmed that Mr. A committed these crimes after being released from prison in October last year. A police official explained, "This case involved active investigation even for minor crime reports, preventing further fraud damages."