'Cambodia No-Show' Scam: All Members Sentenced to Prison in First Trial for Embezzling 3.8 Billion Won

Embezzled 3.8 Billion Won from 215 Victims Over Three Months

All members of a criminal organization, which was based in Cambodia and committed no-show (reservation default) scams against small business owners in Korea by impersonating military units and others, have been sentenced to prison terms in the first trial.

According to the legal community on July 13, the Criminal Division 15 of the Seoul Eastern District Court (Presiding Judge Kim Yanghoon) sentenced a man in his 20s, who acted as a recruiter and was indicted on charges including joining and participating in a criminal organization, to four years in prison on July 10. As a result, all 24 members of this organization who were tried from February to July this year received prison sentences ranging from two to nine years in the first trial. Notably, the general manager, Mr. A (age 40), was sentenced to nine years in prison, while another manager, Mr. B (age 40), received a seven-year sentence.

Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office, Songpa-gu, Seoul. The Asia Business Daily DB

According to the Joint Investigation Division on Voice Phishing Crimes at the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office (headed by Senior Prosecutor Lee Taesoon), Mr. A and others were indicted on charges of defrauding 3.8 billion won from 215 victims from September to November last year, operating out of Sihanoukville, Cambodia. The group divided roles such as ringleader, manager, and lurer, and systematically committed the crimes.

The method was meticulous. The first lurer would impersonate an employee of a public institution such as a hospital or military unit and make a large reservation at a restaurant. They would then ask the restaurant to purchase expensive items such as wine for the event. The second lurer, pretending to be a wine seller, would approach the restaurant and receive payment for the goods, only to disappear afterward.

The Joint Investigation Division launched its investigation based on international crime information from the National Intelligence Service. In cooperation with Cambodian authorities, 17 members of the group were extradited to Korea, and the remaining 7, who were staying in Korea, were also arrested in succession.

However, prosecutors have appealed, or plan to appeal, all of these first trial cases on the grounds of insufficient sentencing, taking into account that the scale of damage is significant and that there has been no recovery for the victims. A prosecution official stated, "We will actively pursue the case to ensure that sentences commensurate with the severity of the crimes are imposed on the defendants."

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