"Golf Course Cheap Booking Scam: Fraudster Swindles Hundreds of Millions from 50 People [Economic Crime 24 Hours]"

Fraud Schemes by Acquaintances Met in Clubs
Victim Losses Range from 1 Million to Tens of Millions of Won

Mr. Choi Simin (43, pseudonym) joined a golf club in May 2021, following a close older friend. As he began to enjoy golf, Mr. Choi started going out to the course and was also active in club activities. However, each outing cost him at least 200,000 won, deepening his worries.

One day, he heard from an acquaintance in the club named Mr. Lee (late 40s) that he was making "discount golf course reservations." Mr. Lee claimed to be a discount reservation expert, telling members that group bookings would get discounts and that going through him would yield even better rates. Tempted by this, Mr. Choi, following another acquaintance, requested a reservation through Mr. Lee and transferred 3 million won.

However, after receiving tens of millions of won from club members, Mr. Lee disappeared without a trace. More than 10 members fell victim to Mr. Lee’s scam. Contrary to his claims, not a single golf course reservation was properly made. Mr. Choi and other members filed a police complaint against Mr. Lee.

The photo is not directly related to the article content. Photo by Jang Jin-hyeong aymsdream@

The Investigation Team 5 of Busan Haeundae Police Station, which received the case, began collecting similar cases. Confirming that similar incidents had occurred at nearby police stations, the police designated Haeundae Police Station as the focused investigation agency in April last year and launched a full-scale investigation.

During the investigation, more than 50 victims were identified. Each victim was defrauded by Mr. Lee of amounts ranging from 1 million won to several tens of millions of won. The total damage amounted to a staggering 770 million won. Although Mr. Lee acted alone, the police concentrated on tracking his whereabouts due to the large sum involved.

Mr. Lee, who had been hiding thoroughly, was caught in the police’s investigation net at the end of August last year, four months into the investigation. While fleeing in a nearby area outside Busan, he was finally apprehended by the police. The police arrested Mr. Lee and immediately applied for an arrest warrant.

The court also issued an arrest warrant for Mr. Lee, citing "risk of flight," and the prosecution indicted him on fraud charges. Mr. Lee is currently on trial at the Busan District Court while in custody.

Fraud cases using golf course reservations as bait continue unabated. In May of this year, a report was filed in Incheon accusing a manager who received rounds through a golf course reservation application (app) of embezzling reservation fees, prompting a police investigation.

According to the Michuhol Police Station in Incheon, golf course reservation app operator Company A filed a complaint on the 9th accusing a golf course booking manager of fraud. Over 110 customers using the app sent about 62 million won in reservation fees to the manager earlier this month, but the manager disappeared, according to Company A.

The manager reportedly only sent text messages to customers stating "the reservation was canceled due to circumstances" and did not return the reservation fees. Furthermore, the manager was not a formal employee of the company but a "freelance manager."

Earlier in April, a woman in her 40s was arrested by the police for embezzling money after promising golf course reservations and green fee discounts in the Gwangju and Jeonnam regions.

From June to November last year, over about six months, the woman exploited the difficulty of booking golf courses during peak season in Gwangju and the cities of Suncheon and Gwangyang in Jeonnam, taking cash under the condition of reservations and green fee discounts before disappearing.

Police investigations revealed that the woman collected between 500,000 and 5 million won from victims into her bank account under the pretext of group golf reservations during peak season. So far, 25 cases have been confirmed, with damages exceeding 100 million won.