Police refer suspect who scammed people on online secondhand markets to prosecutors
Published: 27 Jan. 2026, 17:30
![Police logo [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/01/27/33a32b58-7c43-4748-a6d0-d03c7a860c16.jpg)
Police logo [YONHAP]
Police have sent a suspect to prosecutors in detention for allegedly defrauding dozens of people through fake listings on online secondhand marketplaces, authorities said on Tuesday.
The suspect is accused of collecting about 15.3 million won ($10,600) from 146 victims over nine months beginning in February last year, according to the Jeonju Deokjin police precinct in North Jeolla.
Police said the suspect did not own the products listed and instead used images from the internet to create postings on several platforms, including Joonggonara, Karrot and Naver online communities. Buyers paid in advance but never received the items.
After receiving reports from victims nationwide, police launched an investigation and arrested the suspect while they were on the run in North Chungcheong last month.
During questioning, the suspect said they committed the crimes because they “lacked money for living expenses.”
“We detained the suspect due to a high risk of recidivism,” a police officer said. “We urge consumers to reduce fraud risks by choosing face-to-face transactions in safe locations when buying or selling goods.”
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 JUNG SI-NAE [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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