▲ Victims hold a rally in front of the Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency on June 29.
The number of victims who claim they were scammed by an eSIM sales company that recruited investors under the pretext of a "BTS concert boom" has surpassed 1,400.
According to the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crime Investigation Unit of the Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency, the number of complainants accusing the Incheon-based eSIM sales company, Company A, of fraud reached 1,440 as of the 14th.
When this case first began to draw public attention on June 25, there were only 132 complainants. However, the number of victims has surged since then due to cases transferred from other regions and additional filings.
The victims explained that Company A recruited investors by claiming, "The demand for eSIMs is exploding due to an increase in foreign tourists, so your principal is completely safe," and "Even greater profits will be generated due to the BTS concert boom."
The victims also claimed that Company A committed the crime through a so-called Ponzi scheme, paying returns to older investors using funds from new investors.
It was found that some elderly victims invested their entire life savings into Company A, while some young adults took out excessive loans to gather investment funds.
Police have booked the head of Company A and others on charges of fraud and similar illegal receiving of funds, and are currently investigating the case.
An eSIM is a digital SIM card built into smartphones, and the victims claim the company deceived them into believing that operating a Korean eSIM sales business targeting foreigners would yield high returns.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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