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Court upholds man's sentence for online romance scam based in Cambodia

Published: 24 Oct. 2025, 20:09 Updated: 25 Oct. 2025, 12:10

A screenshot of romance scammers chatting with victims, released by police as evidence [ULSAN POLICE AGENCY]

A man in his 20s who posed as a romantic partner to defraud victims in a Cambodia-based romance scam ring received a suspended prison sentence in his appeal trial, the court confirmed Friday.

The Ulsan branch of the Busan High Court dismissed the prosecution’s appeal and upheld the original verdict for violating the Special Act on the Prevention of Loss Caused by Telecommunications-based Financial Fraud and Refund for Loss, sentencing the defendant to one year and six months in prison, suspended for three years.

The defendant traveled to Cambodia in November last year after being promised accommodation and a monthly salary of $2,000.

Once there, he received training from a Korean ringleader on how to impersonate women online, gain the trust of victims by pretending to be in a romantic relationship, and coax them into making investments. They served as a so-called “chatter” in the scam operation until January this year.

In the initial trial, the court ordered the defendant to forfeit 690,000 won in criminal proceeds, noting that “The defendant showed remorse after being detained and had not earned a significant amount through the crime.”

Prosecutors appealed, arguing the sentence was “too lenient,” but the appellate court found no grounds to alter the ruling.

The scam ring, which the defendant was a part of, allegedly targeted victims through online platforms, posing as romantic partners or friends to defraud them of large sums under the pretense of investment. The total damages linked to the group are estimated at around 12 billion won.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JEONG JAE-HONG [[email protected]]