Japanese Girlfriend Urged 'Crypto Dating Savings,' It Was a Scam from Cambodia

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Japanese “girlfriend” urged man to join ‘crypto dating savings’ scheme… Scamallegedly operated from Cambodia

Police arrest 49 members of two phishing organizations

A Cambodia-based phishing ring that approached victims while pretending to be Japanese women and carried out romance scams has been caught by police.

The Financial Crimes Investigation Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency announced on the 25th that it had referred 49 members of two Phnom Penh-based phishing organizations to prosecutors on charges including participation in and activities for a criminal organization and violations of the Act on the Refund of Telecommunications Fraud Damage. Of them, 37 were detained.

The suspects are accused of swindling approximately 10.5 billion won from 68 victims between March last year and January this year through romance scams, no-show scams, and impersonation of government agencies.

Organization A used photos of Japanese individuals obtained from social media and approached victims while posing as Japanese women. After engaging in conversations for a week to up to three months and developing online romantic relationships, they lured victims by saying they could earn commissions through a side job involving purchasing agency services for online shopping malls.

They introduced fake websites disguised as well-known overseas shopping malls and built trust by actually providing 10 to 20 percent of the purchase amount as commission. Once victims deposited large sums of money, the group shut down the sites or refused withdrawals of profits, thereby stealing the funds.

They also encouraged victims to sign up for a so-called “crypto dating savings plan,” claiming that “even one day of deposit accrues substantial interest.” Victims were directed to fake websites and induced to transfer virtual assets.

The group changed their fraudulent websites every one to two months to evade tracking. To avoid suspicion, female members sometimes spoke directly with victims to reassure them. They also meticulously reviewed and revised crime performance records and scripts on a regular basis.

Organization B impersonated officials from the Financial Supervisory Service and the prosecution. Using personal information obtained by a Chinese ringleader, they convinced victims that their credit cards had been misdelivered and provided a designated phone number, posing as a customer service center, to induce victims to install remote-control programs and malicious apps.

They then claimed that the victims’ identities had been stolen and advised them to report the matter to the Financial Supervisory Service and the prosecution. Due to the malicious apps, even when victims called the actual agencies, the calls were redirected to members of the criminal organization. Frightened by threats of “detention and investigation,” victims handed over money as instructed.

Police became aware of the case in October last year when Cambodian authorities arrested 14 Korean suspects. Additional members were apprehended through requests for local crackdowns and rescue reports filed with the South Korean Embassy in Cambodia.

In the case of Organization A, 41 out of 60 participants have been arrested, effectively dismantling the group. Organization B is still under investigation, with 54 members identified and eight arrested so far.

Police have preemptively secured approximately 1 billion won in criminal proceeds against 22 suspects through pre-indictment forfeiture and preservation measures. The Chinese ringleader of Organization A, arrested locally, is currently in extradition consultations.

Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, or investment advice.