By Jhoo Dong-chan
One user recently posted a comment at DC Inside, one of the nation’s biggest Internet forums, on how he made nearly one billion won ($934,000) in three days.
The user said he posted a boxed set of his iPad and digital camera on Joonggonara, an e-commerce site for used items with some 13 million members.
The user claimed that 2,813 people sent a total of 958 million won to buy the items. The user, of course, did not send the items to any of them.
Another user also said on DC Inside that he posted a number of out-of-print books on Joonggonara, which had been borrowed from a library. Once the user took money from a dozen of buyers, he disappeared without sending any books to them.
Likewise, a victim, 34, surnamed Kim, sent money to a seller, identified only as Moon, to buy a used backpack on Joonggonara last month. Moon, however, did not send the bag to Kim.
Moon, in fact, gambled away the money on Sports Toto, the nation’s biggest sports betting site, and was looking for other buyers to refund the victim’s money, police said.
According to police, Moon took a total of 27 million won from some 120 Joonggonara buyers since November.
Police said used item transaction sites are becoming hotbeds for swindlers as the trade volume through these sites is increasing continuously.
On DC Inside, there are a number of posts explaining how to avoid prosecution.
They claim that they can evade the law only if they post their real items they possess in the online auction and if they say that they could not send the item because they were too busy.
Police said that it is important to check seller’s transaction history before buying an item.
“Although the sellers return money back, they will be charged if a similar method is reiterated,” said a police officer.
The number of the Internet auction fraud cases has reached about 6,000 over the past six months. During the period, a total of 5,405 Internet auction swindlers received criminal penalties.