College Student Received 8 Million Won Refund Over 2 Years by Falsely Claiming Foreign Objects in Food

A man in his 20s, a university student, was prosecuted for fraudulently claiming foreign substances in delivery food and receiving 8 million won in refunds over two years.

The Criminal Division 2 of the Seoul Northern District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Choi Junho) announced on the 6th that they have arrested and indicted Mr. A, a man in his 20s, on charges of fraud, intimidation, and obstruction of business.

According to the prosecution, Mr. A is accused of demanding refunds from 305 self-employed business owners over two years starting from January 2023, claiming that insects or other foreign substances were found in delivery food, and pocketing 8 million won.

He is also accused of threatening business owners who refused refunds by saying he would report them to the media, as well as posting false reviews to disrupt their business operations.

The police began investigating following complaints from some victims and initially sent Mr. A to prosecution without detention on charges of defrauding about 170,000 won from seven victims. However, during the handover of the case, forensic analysis of his mobile phone revealed that he had committed the crimes hundreds of times over approximately two years, leading to his arrest.

A prosecution official stated, “The defendant exploited the situation where self-employed business owners, fearing so-called ‘star rating terrorism,’ could not thoroughly verify the authenticity of refund requests citing foreign substances and had no choice but to provide refunds. Due to the defendant’s malicious crimes, the victims suffered not only economic damage but also significant mental distress.”