Man in His 30s Sentenced to 4 Years for 'Secondary Fraud' Targeting Scam Victims

A man in his 30s has been sentenced to prison for exploiting the desperate situations of fraud victims to commit secondary scams.

The Incheon District Court announced today (June 22) that it has sentenced the defendant, identified as A, to four years in prison on charges of fraud.

A was indicted on charges of deceiving eight fraud victims and swindling approximately 390 million won between April 30 and December 7 of last year.

Investigations revealed that A entered open chat rooms where victims of investment scams and other frauds gathered, falsely claiming, "If you pay a retainer fee, I will help you recover the money you lost to a certain company."

Furthermore, he deceived a victim who had been scammed by an impersonation website by lying, "The developers of the impersonation site are my clients; if you make an advance payment, I will check if it is possible to contact them."

A had no intention or ability to recover the victims' losses, as he intended to use the money for entertainment expenses and cryptocurrency investments.

A had previously been sentenced to three years in prison and a fine of 1 million won for fraud in June 2023, and had been released from prison last year.

The judge explained, "The defendant committed the same type of crime just one month after his release," adding, "The nature of the crime is very poor, as he targeted people who were already victims of crime, exploiting their desperate state of mind."

The court further stated the reasons for the sentencing, noting, "Despite the fraud amount reaching 390 million won, the damages have not been fully recovered to this day, and he has not been forgiven by the victims."

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