Police arrest suspects in Cambodia romance scam ring

Police have arrested members of criminal organizations accused of carrying out romance scams by posing as Japanese women. The groups allegedly employed a scheme known as “pig butchering,” in which they built trust with victims before steering them toward investments in fraudulent online stores and ultimately stealing their money.

On Feb. 25, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s Financial Crime Investigation Unit announced that it had apprehended 49 members of two scam networks operating out of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and other locations. Authorities said the groups defrauded 68 victims of approximately 10.5 billion won.

One organization, identified as Group A, primarily conducted romance scams. Members created social media accounts using photos of Japanese women and approached victims at random. Over periods ranging from one week to three months, they cultivated online romantic relationships to gain trust. Once that trust was secured, victims were persuaded to invest in fictitious shopping mall proxy businesses, with promises of commission income through fabricated websites.

After extracting as much money as possible, the scammers either shut down the websites or restricted withdrawals, effectively seizing the funds. Following earlier arrests that exposed the fake website operation, Group A altered its tactics. It began convincing victims to deposit money into cryptocurrency-based “romance savings” schemes. Investigators said the approach is known as “pig butchering” because perpetrators patiently nurture victims’ confidence before ultimately taking their money.

Group B, meanwhile, posed as officials from the Financial Supervisory Service to extort money from victims. Using a personal data database obtained by a Chinese ringleader, members randomly called individuals and falsely claimed their credit cards had been misdelivered. When victims responded that they had not applied for a card, the scammers alleged that their identities had been stolen and instructed them to install malicious applications.

Even when victims attempted to contact the Financial Supervisory Service through official channels, the malicious app redirected calls to the criminal organization. Members posing as government officials then pressured victims to transfer cash.

Police said the groups operated under strict internal rules. Members used aliases and were prohibited from using mobile phones during operations. Most of the Korean participants were in their 20s and 30s, and some minors were also involved. Many were recruited through regional senior-junior networks and traveled to Cambodia fully aware they were engaging in criminal activity.

Since October last year, when 14 Korean suspects were first arrested, authorities have broadened their investigation. In November, 13 additional members were apprehended and repatriated to South Korea. In January, police arrested 16 more individuals in Cambodia, including Chinese and Korean ringleaders. Extradition proceedings are now underway for the Chinese ringleader and his deputy.


정서영 기자 cero@donga.com