Buying 80 Don of Pure Gold as Husband's Gift? A Watchful Eye Leads to Arrest

"It seemed very suspicious that someone came to the store two days in a row to buy expensive gold under the pretext of getting a gift for her husband."

An observant gold exchange representative in Sejong played a major role in catching a criminal by spotting signs of money laundering by a voice phishing organization and reporting it to the police.

Kang, 56, a representative of a branch of the Korea Appraisal Gold Exchange in Sejong, stated on the 12th, "A woman with a unique outfit visited different branches over two days to purchase 30 don and 50 don of gold, respectively," adding, "I was certain it was voice phishing money laundering."

On the 29th of last month, A, in her 50s, stopped by a gold exchange in Sejong and purchased 30 don of pure gold, claiming she was looking for a birthday gift for her husband.

A day later, A visited another gold exchange in Sejong, saying she wanted to buy her husband a birthday present, and this time attempted to purchase 50 don of pure gold.

As it happened, both branches A visited were stores operated by Kang.

Kang, who had found A's appearance and behavior suspicious since the previous transaction, recalled A after hearing from an employee that a customer had arrived to buy a husband's gift. Kang immediately reviewed the closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage and confirmed she was the same person.

Sensing something amiss about the hoarding of 80 don of gold worth approximately 67 million won as a husband's gift across different branches for two consecutive days, Kang checked A's ID and remittance details, sensed it was voice phishing, and reported it to the police.

Kang stated, "A said her husband would wire the payment for the pure gold purchase via bank transfer, but it was strange because the sender's name was different," adding, "I bought time by packing 30 don first and reassuring her that the remaining 20 don would be ready soon."

Police dispatched following Kang's report apprehended A at the scene.

According to the police investigation, she was a cash collector for a voice phishing scam who also played a role in laundering money by collecting victim funds and exchanging them for pure gold.

It was revealed that she had collected and delivered a total of 120 million won worth of gold or cash since this year.

The Sejong Southern Police Station booked A on charges of violating the Special Act on Prevention of Losses from Telecommunications-based Financial Fraud and Refund of Damaged Amounts, while presenting Kang with a letter of appreciation and an arrest reward for contributing to the apprehension of the criminal and the prevention of further damage.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.