Three Koreans Sentenced to Prison for "Romance Scam" Last Month
Chinese Ringleader Operated Offices in Cambodia
The inner workings of criminal organizations that lured young Koreans to Cambodia and operated locally have been partially revealed through court rulings.
On October 13, Yonhap News cited the verdict issued by the Busan District Court Criminal Division 3 (Presiding Judge Shim Jae-nam) on September 10, reporting on the activities of a "romance scam call center" based in Cambodia. The court sentenced three Koreans in their 20s and 30s, including individual A, who worked as call center staff, to prison terms ranging from 2 years and 4 months to 3 years and 2 months on charges including participation in a criminal organization and fraud.
From July 3 to July 24 of last year, A and others were brought to trial on charges of making 13 victims transfer approximately 580 million won to the criminal organization through 119 transactions using the romance scam method. A "romance scam" is a type of fraud where perpetrators use fake photos on social networking services (SNS) to exploit victims of the opposite sex for financial gain.
According to the court ruling, the criminal organization was led by a Chinese ringleader who oversaw operations and maintained offices in Bavet, Cambodia, and Vientiane, Laos. Under the ringleader, there were managers who supervised members, call center staff, recruiters who supplied shell bank accounts and new members, money mules who transferred stolen funds from the first account to second and third accounts to conceal criminal proceeds, and money launderers.
Call center staff were required to work 12-hour shifts from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. in rooms equipped with closed-circuit (CC)TV that displayed their computer screens. They had to pay fines for being late or leaving early, and if their performance was poor, they had to work overtime until 11 p.m. To enter the office, staff had to take a selfie with their access card and send it to a Chinese supervisor, who would then verify their identity with the security guard at the entrance. While working, they were not allowed to use mobile phones or talk to colleagues. They were strictly prohibited from discussing their work with outsiders, and logging into personal accounts on office computers was also forbidden.
Hostage-taking of acquaintances and hefty fines to prevent quitting
To prevent lower-ranking members from leaving, anyone wishing to return to Korea had to leave behind a friend from the organization as a sort of hostage. Only after one person entered the office could the next person return home. Most new employees were acquaintances of existing staff, lured by offers of airfare and accommodation and the promise, "You can make a lot of money working in the coin business."
Organization members referred to each other strictly by aliases to prevent their real identities from being known. At the entrance of the office building, five to six local security guards were stationed, and on each floor, two to three armed guards patrolled to prevent escapes. Members who expressed a desire to quit were required to pay a fine of 10,000 U.S. dollars (about 14 million won).
Judge Shim stated, "The social harm is severe, and since the organization is based abroad, it is difficult to eradicate, so strict punishment is necessary." However, he also explained, "I considered the fact that the defendant fully admitted to the crime, and there are some circumstances that can be taken into account regarding why the defendant did not immediately leave the organization or stop the criminal activity."
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