Woman in Her 50s Files False "Robbery" Report to Siphon Off Money Without Husband's Knowledge

Charged with Obstruction of Official Duties by Fraudulent Means... Booked Without Detention
Money Removed from Piggy Bank and Hidden in Laundry Room

A woman in her 50s has been booked without detention on charges of obstruction of official duties by fraudulent means after filing a false police report, claiming to have been the victim of a robbery in order to secretly siphon off money from her husband.

According to Yonhap News on January 18, at around 2:40 p.m. on January 1, Chungju Police Station in North Chungcheong Province received an urgent report from a husband stating, "My wife is home alone, and an unknown man has come to the house and is knocking on the door." When officers arrived at the residence, the wife, referred to as Ms. A, told police, "When I opened the door, a man tied my wrist with a shoelace, broke open a piggy bank, and took 300,000 won."

Chungju Police Station. Yonhap News

However, after analyzing surrounding closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage, police found no evidence of any suspicious individuals near the residence before or after the reported incident.

In addition, police reportedly mobilized 40 personnel, including detectives, to search the area for four hours. When officers, suspecting a false report, pressed Ms. A for details, she finally confessed in the evening that it had been a staged incident.

It was revealed that Ms. A, who is in a common-law marriage, orchestrated the incident in order to secretly transfer money from the piggy bank to her child as pocket money without her husband's knowledge. The money from the piggy bank was later found wrapped in plastic in the laundry room.

A police official stated, "Fabricating a serious crime to achieve a personal goal and using law enforcement as a tool is clearly a criminal act. Such actions waste investigative manpower and public safety resources, causing confusion in crime response, and will be dealt with strictly."

Obstruction of official duties by fraudulent means is punishable by up to five years in prison or a fine of up to 10 million won under Article 137 of the Criminal Act.