As the case of the torture and death of a Korean university student in Cambodia draws attention, court rulings have shed light on the methods and activities of local crime syndicates operating so-called "romance scam" call centers.

According to the recent verdict by the Busan District Court’s Criminal Division 3 (Chief Judge Shin Jae-nam), these call centers in Cambodia have become highly organized, targeting Koreans through online scams. The court sentenced three Korean nationals in their 20s and 30s, including individual A, to prison terms ranging from two years and four months to three years and two months on charges of participating in a criminal organization and fraud.

A and his accomplices were found guilty of orchestrating a series of 119 fraudulent transactions from July 3 to July 24 last year, in which 13 victims were lured into sending approximately 580 million won (about USD 437,000) to the criminal syndicate through romance scam tactics.

A "romance scam" is a crime in which perpetrators use fake female profiles on social networking services to establish intimate relationships with victims and ultimately exploit them financially. According to the court documents, the criminal group is overseen by a Chinese ringleader and operates offices in Bavet, Cambodia, and Vientiane, Laos.

Many employees joined, lured by promises from existing workers that they could "make a lot of money working in cryptocurrency-related fields." Within the syndicate, members addressed one another exclusively by aliases, never revealing their true identities. The offices were heavily guarded, with five to six local security guards stationed at the building entrance and two to three armed guards on each floor, preventing any attempt to escape.

Call center workers were required to work twelve-hour shifts from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. under strict surveillance, including CCTV monitoring their computer screens. Tardiness or leaving early resulted in fines, and underperformance led to extended work hours until 11 p.m. Personal mobile phones were banned during work, and communication even with colleagues was strictly prohibited.

To prevent unauthorized absences or escapes, the organization forced any member wishing to return to Korea to leave behind a friend as a hostage; only after another person arrived could the hostage depart. Members who wished to quit were subjected to a mandatory penalty of 10,000 US dollars (about 13 million won).

Judge Shin commented, "The social harm caused by these crimes is severe, and because the organization is based overseas, rooting it out is challenging, necessitating significant penalties." However, he noted that in consideration of the defendants’ full admission of guilt and the circumstances that prevented their immediate withdrawal from the crime group, the sentences were determined accordingly.

Meanwhile, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the number of reported kidnappings of Korean nationals in Cambodia rose sharply to 330 cases by August this year, representing more than 1.5 times last year’s figure of 220 cases.

Note “This article was translated from the original Korean version using AI assistance, and subsequently edited by a native-speaking journalist.”

Photo=Yonhap News