Netizens Unite Against Net Swindler

A swindler who is a female college student is wanted by netizens for deceiving buyers in the Internet market for used goods by advertising goods at reduced prices and not delivering after payment.

Last July, a buyer decided to purchase from her after seeing an advertisement at online flea market that read, “A 300,000 won gift certificate is for sale for 250,000 won.”

The buyer waited for the certificate after paying money only to hear Kim’s excuse that she lost the certificate. Kim did not send the certificate for a month. The buyer demanded a refund, saying that if she did not get her money back she would report what happened to the Cyber Crime Investigation division of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency. Only then did Kim remit the money back in her husband’s name, Mr. S.

The amount of money A got back in her bank account was 485,000 won. Kim demanded A send her back 235,000 by saying her husband sent the wrong amount of money. A immediately sent back the money to Kim, thinking Kim’s husband made a mistake.

All of a sudden, A was told last November by the police to come to the police department because she was accused of a deception, where she, allegedly, bilked Mr. S out of money for a bag that A had advertised on the Internet. Then A realized that she was fooled by Kim. Victims say that since 2004 Kim has defrauded hundreds of people by putting up cosmetics, second-hand luxury goods, and home appliances for sale on an Internet flea market site.

Victims, individually, have filed complaints with police. However, police said that there is not much they can do except institute a search for the suspect because the amount of money swindled by each victim is small, victims are scattered nationwide, and the suspect is on the lam.

Under these circumstances, victims created an Internet café entitled ‘Kim, we will get you come what may’ in an effort to stem further fraud. The Internet café that has some 1,910 members shows personal information and a photo of Kim, who is a Japanese major and is taking a leave of absence from a college in Seoul.

gaea@donga.com