Exclusive: Victim Defrauded of Over 100 Million Won by Fake Lawyer Using Stolen Identity

[Anchor]

We have received a report from a victim who was swindled out of over 100 million won in jeonse (lump-sum housing lease) deposit money by an individual posing as a lawyer who claimed they could recover funds lost to fraud. It turns out the perpetrator was a fake lawyer who stole the photos and forged the identification of a real, practicing attorney.

Kwon Min-kyu reports exclusively.

[Reporter]

Last autumn, a person in their 60s, identified by the surname Lee, lost 3.8 million won in a secondhand transaction scam.

While Lee was feeling discouraged, an advertisement appeared on their social media this spring claiming to "recover money lost to fraud."

Out of a desperate hope, Lee reached out. The individual, who identified themselves as a lawyer named A, sent a lawyer's ID card and a registration certificate from the Korean Bar Association.

[Lee (pseudonym)/Victim: They even sent a profile picture, claiming it was them. So, I completely trusted them.]

However, as soon as the contract was signed, A introduced a person named B, claiming that an IT expert was needed to recover the funds. A then alleged that the 3.8 million won lost in the initial scam had been transferred to a casino in Macau.

A then induced Lee to deposit money into a cryptocurrency exchange account, claiming, "We have technology to hack the casino," and "If you cooperate well, you can get all your money back."

When Lee began to suspect fraud, A even invited the victim to a group chat room filled with other alleged victims in similar situations.

[Lee (pseudonym)/Victim: I was a bit suspicious. But then a woman in the same group said, 'Sister, other people have already recovered their money and left. Don't worry about it.']

Claiming that fund recovery was narrowly failing due to repeated account freezes, A demanded more money each time to "resolve" the issue. Over the course of about two months, Lee deposited a total of 140 million won more than 20 times.

[Lee (pseudonym)/Victim: I had a jeonse deposit, so I withdrew it—70 million won. Since I couldn't find the money, they suddenly blocked me and went into hiding (at the end).]

The real lawyer whose identity A impersonated has already filed a criminal complaint with the police, stating that their identity was stolen. The law firm A claimed to represent was also identified by the Korean Bar Association as a fraudulent entity that the public should be wary of.

[Lawyer whose identity was stolen: I told them, of course, that it wasn't me. It seems someone is stealing my personal information to commit another fraud against you...]

Reports of lawyer impersonation cases surged from 7 in 2022 to 177 last year.

[Kim Ju-hyun/Policy Director, Korean Bar Association: Because crimes are becoming more sophisticated, relying on online searches alone is insufficient. You must verify through phone calls and in-person meetings before making any deposits.]

The Anseong Police Station in Gyeonggi Province is tracking the flow of funds, suspecting that there may be additional victims beyond Lee.

(Video reporting: Kang Dong-chul, Lee Sang-hak | Video editing: Kim Yun-seong | Design: Park Tae-young)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.