By Lee Han-soo
A scammer who pretended to have terminal cancer is still at large after taking gifts from members of an Internet housewife community.
According to community members, the scammer, whose identity remains unconfirmed, posted a story titled “Diagnosed with breast cancer, and prepping for surgery. Please pray for me” to the community on March 12. She said she had been a member for three years and was recently diagnosed with breast cancer and preparing for surgery.
Her story broke the hearts of many members and they launched a campaign to collect gifts for her to show their support. The gifts, including coffee, soft drinks and flowers, were delivered to an alleged hospital address where the scammer claimed she was receiving treatment.
Two weeks later, the claim was confirmed to be groundless, leaving community members dumbfounded. They are considering reporting the case to police.
Experts said such scammers are thriving in Internet communities because they can make money from the gifts.