Stealing Discarded Receipts to Post Fake Reviews: A 1.9 Billion Won Scam

Many people check online reviews before visiting restaurants or even hospitals. Now, it seems even those can no longer be trusted.
The Busan Metropolitan Police Agency's Cyber Investigation Division has apprehended 24 individuals who posted approximately 28,000 fake reviews and pocketed 1.9 billion won between 2020 and January of this year.
The group operated systematically, dividing roles to post fraudulent positive reviews.
When advertisers, such as hospital or restaurant owners, requested their services, the operators would post reviews using receipts left behind by actual customers or photos of the businesses. In the case of accommodations, they also used stolen accounts to make small payments before leaving fake reviews.
It was also discovered that a developer created and supplied various macro programs to the operators, which were used to bypass portal security systems.
Police confirmed that 707 businesses had requested these fake reviews, with hospitals being the most common, followed by restaurants, cafes, and beauty salons.
(Source: Busan Metropolitan Police Agency)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.