A so-called "married couple scam ring" that used deepfake technology in Cambodia to commit a romance scam targeting Koreans and stole 10.1 billion won has been brought to trial.
The Ministry of Justice said on the 12th that it indicted the husband, a person surnamed Kang, and the wife, a person surnamed An, after a thorough supplemental investigation on charges including organizing and operating a criminal group and violating the Special Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes Related to Telecommunications-based Financial Fraud, and detained them pending trial.
The couple organized a criminal group in places including the Borey area of Cambodia for the purpose of voice phishing from January 2024 to January last year. By carrying out an investment-leading scam in the style of a romance scam, they swindled about 10.1 billion won from 97 victims in Korea.
The Korean government sought the couple's repatriation, but they were unlawfully released from a Cambodian detention facility. They later underwent plastic surgery to conceal their identities. A prosecutor in charge of extradition at the Ministry of Justice's International Criminal Affairs Division visited Cambodia twice and persuaded the Minister and Vice Minister of Justice, and with the cooperation of the Cambodian government, the couple were repatriated to Korea.
According to the prosecution's investigation, the couple had already been active for nine months in an established criminal group around January 2024. They received investment from a Chinese investor in November 2024 and organized a new criminal group composed of a ringleader, call center counselors, a call center human resources manager, and a funds manager.
The husband, Kang, from January 2024 filmed YouTube videos using deepfake technology and posed as an investment expert to induce victims to transfer money as investment funds. From November 2024, he issued work orders to members of the new criminal group and directly gave investment briefings to victims. The wife, An, built rapport with victims through personal conversations and induced wire transfers as purported investment funds.
So far, prosecutors have indicted 38 members of the criminal group organized by the couple. Of them, 24 received first-instance sentences, and 10 received appellate rulings. Judgments for seven have been finalized. During the investigation, authorities also took measures such as filing for pre-indictment preservation for forfeiture on claims to deposits held at domestic financial institutions.