The police have launched an investigation after a series of incidents in which people who left their cars with someone offering "free car washes" on the used goods trading app Danggeun Market had their vehicles stolen in their entirety.
According to the Hwaseong Dongtan Police Station in Gyeonggi Province on May 9, a total of three reports of vehicle theft were filed the previous day in Hwaseong and neighboring areas.
The victims contacted the poster after seeing a message on Danggeun Market recently that offered "free mobile car washes." The poster reportedly reassured the victims by claiming to have just started a car wash business and said the free washes were part of a promotional campaign.
After coordinating schedules with the victims, the poster approached them by saying things like, "Just leave the car key inside the car and park it," and "If you are satisfied after using the service, please use it again next time." Trusting these instructions, the victims left their cars early in the morning on May 8, only to discover soon after that their vehicles had disappeared.
After receiving the reports, the police found all three stolen vehicles later that day at a junkyard in Haman, South Gyeongsang Province.
One accomplice, who was dismantling the vehicles, was apprehended at the scene and was urgently arrested on charges of aggravated theft.
The police are currently tracking down the remaining accomplices and investigating the details of the crime.
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