Swindler Arrested for Date Scheme
A 24-year-old man was arrested for preying on men who wanted to date with him, believing that he was a woman.
According to Dobong Police Station Monday, the man, identified by his family name Kim, swindled a total of tens of millions of won from about 180 men.
The police said that Kim sent direct mail indiscriminately on the Internet, hiring a dozen part-time workers, each paid about 100,000 won to 150,000 won.
In his email, he pretended that he was a 23-year-old woman seeking date partners. Hundreds replied. Kim picked and chose about 180 and maintained contacts with them by email. Then, he asked them to send money online, saying that he needed money because his brother was hurt in a traffic accident.
Many of them sent money to the bank account he borrowed from another person identified only as A. Each transmission was worth between 100,000 won and 500,000 won.
Police are still checking the exact amount he swindled but estimated it to be worth many millions of won.
The person identified as A served time after being convicted of swindling 170 million won from over 700 people.