Sent 5 Million Won but Got a Fake Address... "Door Knob Transaction" Scam on the Rise

Luring Victims with Fake Addresses and Disappearing After Payment
Forging Trust by Renting Accounts

As the "door knob transaction" scam spreads nationwide through secondhand trading platforms, users are being urged to exercise caution. This method, which touts the convenience of in-person transactions, has gained popularity because it allows people to exchange goods without coordinating schedules. However, crimes exploiting this convenience have been occurring one after another.

As the "door knob transaction" scam spreads nationwide, users are urged to be cautious.

According to the Incheon Michuhol Police Station on June 15, the police launched an investigation after receiving a report on June 5 that a user attempting to purchase an iPhone 16 Pro Max via Danggeun Market had fallen victim to a scam amounting to 4.95 million won.

The so-called "door knob transaction" is a non-face-to-face trading method in which the seller provides a specific address and promises to hang the item at that location once the buyer transfers the money. Recently, however, there have been many cases where the address is fake or unrelated to the seller's actual residence, resulting in victims.

Victim A saw a post by B on Danggeun Market offering to sell the latest smartphone and attempted to make a deal. B instructed A to transfer the money, promising to hang the item on the door knob, and A subsequently sent 1.65 million won. B built trust by using an account with a 100% re-trade rate and regional verification, and even sent a photo of the packaged item to reassure A.

However, after the money was transferred, B demanded additional payments, claiming it was necessary to verify personal transaction records. A ended up transferring a total of 4.95 million won in three separate transactions, after which B became unreachable.

Afterwards, A created a group chat for victims. It is reported that 64 victims from all over the country, including Seoul, Busan, Gwangju, and Daegu, joined the chat. The total amount of damages suffered by these victims is estimated to be around 17 million won.

The police believe there may be additional victims who fell prey to the same method and are investigating the real owners of the address and bank account provided by B. A police official stated, "Since identification cards and business registrations can easily be forged, you should not blindly trust them during transactions," urging users to be especially careful.

The door knob transaction, a non-face-to-face method for direct deals, spread rapidly after COVID-19. While it has become widely used due to its convenience, scams exploiting these characteristics have also increased. In particular, there have been repeated cases of people renting Danggeun accounts to fabricate trustworthiness or manipulating transaction histories.