Famous Restaurant Owner Caught Using AI-Generated Fake Transfer Receipts to Cover Up Unpaid Wages

An unscrupulous restaurant owner has been caught after submitting AI-generated images of bank transfer receipts to a labor inspector in a fraudulent attempt to prove that overdue wages had been paid.

The Seoul Regional Employment and Labor Office has filed charges against the owner for forgery of private documents, uttering forged private documents, and obstruction of justice by deception. The office is also considering requesting an arrest warrant for violations of the Labor Standards Act.

During a recent labor inspection, the Seoul Labor Office discovered that the owner, identified as A, had failed to pay approximately 27 million won in wages to 38 current employees and about 24 million won to 27 former employees.

The restaurant chain operates six locations in Seoul and is well-known on social media as a popular dining spot.

Following the labor office's order to rectify the situation, A submitted bank transfer receipts as proof that the unpaid wages had been sent to the employees. However, it was revealed that these receipts were fake, created using AI.

Despite the submission, approximately 28 million won in unpaid wages for 27 workers had not actually been paid; the owner had simply generated images of receipts using AI.

The Seoul Labor Office has immediately initiated a criminal investigation for failure to comply with the rectification order and has imposed a fine of 9 million won for the submission of fraudulent documents.

Furthermore, the office stated it is considering requesting an arrest warrant for violations of the Labor Standards Act and has reported the owner to the police for charges outside the scope of the Labor Ministry's investigation, such as forgery of private documents.

To prevent similar cases in the future, the Seoul Labor Office plans to strengthen its oversight by cross-referencing bank transfer receipts with corporate account transaction records and directly confirming with workers whether they have received their unpaid wages.

Reported by Jung Da-eun | Video by Ryu Ji-soo | Graphics by Yang Hye-min | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.