Private Detective Sells Personal Information for 50,000 Won... Insurance Company Employee Sentenced to Prison with Probation

A man in his 50s who worked at an insurance company and sold personal information 170 times was sentenced to a prison term with a suspended sentence.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to the legal community on the 14th, Judge Jo Mi-ok of the Criminal Division 1 at the Seoul Northern District Court sentenced Mr. A (55), who was indicted for violating the Personal Information Protection Act, to one year in prison with a two-year suspension.

Mr. A was charged with receiving requests to inquire about personal information from errand center operators, obtaining information from the insurance company’s personal information processing system, and selling it for money. Using or providing personal information beyond the necessary scope for the purpose of collection to a third party is illegal.

It is known that from August 2020 to August 2021, Mr. A illegally obtained victims’ personal information 170 times, charging between 50,000 and 80,000 KRW per case.

The court explained the sentencing reason, stating, "Providing others’ personal information beyond the necessary scope for collection purposes to gain economic benefits infringes on the freedom of privacy and the right to control one’s own information," and added, "Considering the type and content of the infringed personal information and the number of times, the nature of the crime is serious."