"Lured by Promise to Clear Debt, Victim Detained for 20 Days at Cambodian Voice Phishing Call Center"

Three in Their Twenties Indicted and Detained
for Handing Acquaintance Over to Cambodian Crime Organization

Three individuals in their twenties have been indicted and detained for allegedly harboring resentment against a victim who refused to participate in a fraud scheme, handing him over to a local voice phishing organization in Cambodia, and even misusing his bank account.

According to the Criminal Division 4 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Jung Hyun) on May 14, defendants A, B, and C, all in their mid-twenties, proposed a fraud scheme to an acquaintance. When the victim refused, they planned to hand him over to a Cambodian voice phishing crime organization.

They deceived the victim by saying, "We are promoting the tourism industry in Cambodia. If you go to Cambodia and simply pick up a contract, we will clear your debts." The victim, believing this, boarded a plane with defendant A. However, during the flight, A handed the victim over to members of the Cambodian crime organization.

The situation worsened after arriving in Cambodia. The victim was confined for about 20 days in a call center building near the Cambodia-Vietnam border, surrounded by walls 2 to 3 meters high. Security guards controlled entry and exit, making escape impossible.

Local crime organization members detained the victim, confiscated his passport and mobile phone, and used his bank account for their criminal activities via smart banking features. When the account was frozen, they showed the victim videos of people being tortured for holding fraudulent bank accounts, threatening him to tell his parents to send money to unfreeze the account. During this process, A, B, and C communicated with the Cambodian crime organization via Telegram messenger and demanded money from the victim's parents.

The prosecution, after receiving the case, conducted communication and account analysis to identify leads and provided the defendants' immigration information to the police to facilitate a swift arrest. The prosecution stated, "Extra caution is needed when traveling abroad for employment or business," and added, "We will strive to ensure appropriate support for the victim, who has suffered significant trauma, including psychological counseling and accompaniment to court appearances."