[Reporter’s Notebook] Side Job Tried to Feed Children Turns Out to Be a Scam... No Safety Net in Place

"Because of my father going to the hospital, the children can't eat anything delicious..." This was a post uploaded to a scam victim community on November 14. The author lamented that they had lost more than 40 million won in a side job scam. Other victims who had been hiding also came forward to express their anger together. "I've put my house up for sale." "I tried this for a bit of comfort in life." Victims of side job scams whom I met since last month were in similar situations. They had tried side jobs to help pay for their children's academy fees or to make up for insufficient salaries, only to be scammed. These side job scams specifically targeted those in financially vulnerable positions.

Side job scams are particularly malicious in that they exploit the guilt of the economically vulnerable. Perpetrators pressured victims by claiming that multiple people participating in a team mission suffered losses because of the side job scam victim. Unable to withstand the pressure, victims transferred money as demanded, only to fall into the trap of the side job scam. Kim Daeun (49, female), who was scammed in August, said she couldn't sleep for two days before transferring about 11.63 million won to the scammer. "How hard must it be for my teammates because of me?" What kept her awake was none other than the guilt towards the teammates, who were actually accomplices of the scammer.

Side job scams target the vulnerable, but in reality, no one protects them. Social networking services (SNS) can be considered hotbeds for side job scams. After directly contacting posts about side jobs on SNS, it was difficult to find a case that was not a scam. They would ask for a screenshot of a YouTube video and then, as in Kim's case, demand participation in a mission. One person offered to introduce a side job that guaranteed a monthly profit of 5 million won if I deposited 4.99 million won. When I kept asking what kind of side job it was, they said that people who ask too many questions can't make money, and then cut off contact. In every corner of SNS, where countless people are easily exposed to side job scams, there was not a single warning message about scams to be found.

The law has also failed to protect the socially vulnerable. Even when victims visit investigative agencies to request a freeze on their accounts, the response is, "Only voice phishing cases are eligible." According to the Special Act on the Prevention of Losses from Telecommunications-Based Financial Fraud and Refund for Losses (Telecommunications Fraud Refund Act), actions "disguised as the supply of goods or provision of services" are excluded from voice phishing. Because of this clause, not only side job scams but also romance scams, no-show scams, and other diversified forms of cybercrime in modern society have left victims with no way to recover their losses.

There is a common question asked of side job scam victims: "Did you tell anyone around you about being scammed?" Most did not disclose it. The biggest reason was a sense of helplessness, believing "there's no point." Some victims confessed that, tormented by guilt, they had even considered extreme actions. The responsibility for driving them to the brink lies with both the platforms and the government.