Stole Customer Information While Selling Mobile Phones and Blackmailed Family... Court Sentences to Prison

Attempted Extortion Through Threatening Letters and Texts
Probation and Treatment Ordered Due to Risk of Reoffending

On October 11, Yonhap News reported that a man in his 40s was sentenced to prison by the court after illegally collecting customers' personal information using his experience operating a mobile phone store and then using that information to carry out acts of blackmail.

Seoul Central District Court building.

The 24th Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Court (Presiding Judge Lee Youngsun) last month sentenced Mr. A, who was indicted and detained on charges of attempted extortion, violation of the Stalking Punishment Act, and violation of the Personal Information Protection Act, to one year and six months in prison. The court also ordered him to complete 40 hours of a stalking treatment program and placed him under probation for three years.

From 2015 to 2018, Mr. A operated a mobile phone store in Jongno-gu, Seoul, where he obtained customers' personal information. The investigation revealed that in 2016, while providing mobile phone activation services to Ms. B, who visited his store, he collected sensitive information such as her name, contact details, and family relationships, and stored it on a separate portable storage device.

Subsequently, in April of last year, Mr. A disguised himself as a delivery driver and visited Ms. B's home, leaving about ten threatening letters at her front door. The letters stated, "I plan to eliminate your entire family so you can spend your old age in prison," and demanded 150 million won. The letters also included threats against Ms. B's underage children.

When Ms. B reported the incident to the police, Mr. A continued his stalking by sending threatening text messages, such as "I will come to you when I am ready." As a result, Mr. A was indicted on charges of attempted extortion and stalking, and it was later revealed that he had used personal information obtained while operating the mobile phone store, leading to an additional charge of violating the Personal Information Protection Act.

The court determined that Mr. A posed a significant risk of reoffending, noting that he had even threatened to commit crimes against the victim's children after serving his sentence. The risk assessment scale for recidivism also indicated a moderate level of risk, supporting this conclusion.

In its ruling, the court stated, "Mr. A's crimes are of a very serious nature, and it appears that the victim and her family suffered severe psychological pain and anxiety." The court also criticized, "There has been no effort to make amends or obtain forgiveness from the victim."

However, the court explained that it had determined the sentence in consideration of the fact that Mr. A had shown remorse and that his previous criminal record did not exceed a suspended prison sentence.