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South Korea Repatriates 73 Nationals Involved in Massive Online Scam Operation
South Korean authorities welcomed home 73 nationals on Friday who had been detained in Cambodia for their alleged involvement in sophisticated online scams that defrauded fellow South Koreans of approximately 48.6 billion won ($33 million).
The repatriation marks the largest single return of Korean criminal suspects from abroad. The group, consisting of 65 men and eight women, arrived at Incheon International Airport on a chartered flight before being immediately transferred to police stations across the country. Television footage captured the suspects in handcuffs and masks as they were escorted by police officers onto waiting buses.
“When it comes to crimes that harm our people, we’ll track down and arrest those involved to the very end and get them to face corresponding consequences,” senior police officer Yoo Seung Ryul told reporters at a briefing held at the airport.
The suspects were among approximately 260 South Koreans detained during recent crackdowns in Cambodia, where cybercrime operations have flourished in recent years. Southeast Asian nations, particularly Cambodia and Myanmar, have become notorious hubs for transnational scam operations that employ sophisticated tactics to target victims worldwide.
Among those repatriated was a couple accused of running a deepfake romance scam that allegedly swindled approximately 100 victims out of 12 billion won ($8.2 million) through fraudulent investment schemes. The operation reportedly used AI-generated images and videos to create fake personas that built relationships with victims before convincing them to invest in nonexistent opportunities.
South Korean public concern about these scam operations intensified last summer after a South Korean student was found dead in Cambodia, having reportedly been tortured and beaten while being forced to work at a scam compound. The incident prompted Seoul to send a high-level government delegation to Cambodia in October to coordinate a joint response to the growing problem.
Senior Foreign Ministry official Yoo Byung-seok expressed gratitude to the Cambodian government for their cooperation in Friday’s repatriation. “South Korea hopes to continue close bilateral coordination until online scams targeting South Koreans are eradicated in Cambodia,” he stated at the airport briefing.
The scale of global cybercrime has reached alarming proportions. According to estimates from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, scam victims worldwide lost between $18 billion and $37 billion in 2023 alone. Many operations function as criminal enterprises with organizational structures resembling legitimate businesses, often trapping foreign nationals in conditions of near-slavery to conduct the scams.
Cambodian authorities have recently stepped up efforts to combat these operations. In January, they arrested and extradited to China a tycoon accused of running a massive online scam network. This crackdown represents part of a broader regional effort to address the proliferation of these criminal enterprises.
Since October, South Korean authorities have successfully repatriated approximately 130 scam suspects from Cambodia and more than 20 from neighboring countries including Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, and the Philippines. Even after Friday’s significant repatriation effort, about 60 South Korean nationals remain detained in Cambodia awaiting return to their home country.
South Korean officials estimated last October that approximately 1,000 South Koreans were believed to be involved in scam centers in Cambodia, with some potentially being forced laborers rather than willing participants.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung addressed the issue on Thursday, calling for firm responses to transnational cybercrimes which he described as eroding societal trust and triggering diplomatic tensions between nations.
The repatriation underscores South Korea’s commitment to protecting its citizens from international scam operations and holding perpetrators accountable, regardless of where the crimes are committed.
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5 Comments
Concerning to see South Koreans being involved in such large-scale online scams. Glad the authorities were able to repatriate the suspects to face consequences. Hopefully this serves as a deterrent for future cybercrime activity.
Agreed, it’s good to see the perpetrators being held accountable. These types of scams can have a huge impact on victims.
Interesting that this scam operation was based out of Cambodia, which has become a hub for cybercrime in recent years. Curious to learn more about how the authorities were able to track down and apprehend the suspects.
Good point. Cambodia and other parts of Southeast Asia seem to be attractive locations for these types of illicit operations. Effective international cooperation is key to cracking down on cross-border cybercrime.
$33 million is a massive amount to have been defrauded. I wonder what kind of sophisticated techniques were used by the scammers to target and deceive their fellow South Koreans on such a large scale.