Evolving into Voice Phishing Schemes
Now a Crime Aimed at Disrupting Popular Businesses
Experts Advise: "Recognize No-Shows as Criminal Acts"
Recently, a surge in 'no-show' crimes has been reported, where various organizations, celebrities, or politicians are impersonated to make reservations and then fail to appear.
On May 22, Yonhap News reported, "On May 20, Kim, who has been running a sashimi restaurant in Saha-gu, Busan for 30 years, received a call requesting a reservation for 24 people scheduled to visit at 1:30 p.m. on May 21. Kim prepared for the reservation, but it ultimately turned out to be a no-show."
According to the report, Kim contacted the person who made the reservation, referred to as A, via KakaoTalk message, requested a deposit to be transferred to an account, and introduced recommended menu items. On the morning of the reservation, at around 7:40 a.m. on May 21, Kim sent another message to confirm the reservation and immediately began preparing sashimi for 24 people.
While preparing, Kim became suspicious because the deposit had not been received and continued to call A. A did not answer the calls, but at 12:30 p.m.?one hour before the scheduled visit?A called the restaurant, saying, "We are leaving Haeundae by taxi now and will transfer the deposit right away," once again confirming the reservation.
However, at the reserved time of 1:30 p.m., none of the 24 people showed up. Despite having prepared all 24 servings during the busy lunch hour, Kim desperately tried to call A, but received no answer.
Kim told Yonhap News, "I was a bit suspicious since the deposit wasn't made, but since it was aged sashimi, I had to prepare it in advance or I wouldn't be able to serve the customers," adding, "It seems like the reservation was made intentionally to cause trouble for the business, even though they never intended to come."
Kim, who mentioned frequent appearances on TV and in the media as a 'master of aged sashimi,' said it seemed someone deliberately tried to disrupt business. He added, "Even when I provided parking information, they said all 24 people would be taking taxis and wouldn't need parking, which in hindsight was strange. There are multiple suspicious points. Strict punishment is needed for acts that disrupt small business operations to put an end to such scams."
Kim plans to file a police complaint against A on charges of obstruction of business.
What was once considered a simple mishap, the 'no-show' has recently evolved into a form of voice phishing, where institutions are impersonated to commit fraud, or into a crime intended to disrupt the operations of popular businesses.
Legal experts advise that people need to recognize that no-shows are crimes that entail criminal liability. Business owners are encouraged to only prepare food after receiving a deposit or to make repeated confirmation calls to prevent damage. A criminal law specialist emphasized that no-shows constitute the crime of obstruction of business, but many busy small business owners do not even report such incidents, stating, "If intentionality is proven, not only criminal liability but also claims for damages can be pursued."
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