The ringleader of a crime ring that illegally collected the personal information of BTS member Jungkook, chaebol chiefs, and venture company CEOs, then stole their financial assets and virtual assets, will be handed over to prosecutors.
According to police on the 21st, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's cyber investigation unit will refer A, a Chinese national and the ring leader, to prosecutors in custody on the 22nd on 18 charges, including violations of the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes. With A and another ring leader, along with 32 members of the organization, arrested in succession, the ring has effectively been dismantled.
From May 2022 to April last year, they are accused of cloning SIM cards or fraudulently activating lines to seize assets from celebrities and the wealthy. They targeted people who were incarcerated or serving in the military, making immediate verification and response difficult.
The ring stole the personal and financial information of 271 people, and 21 suffered property damage. It was found that seven others narrowly avoided losses. Including attempted amounts, the total damage reached 73.4 billion won.
Among hacking victims, 75 were related to corporations—the largest group—including 70 corporate chairmen, CEOs, and presidents, and five executives. Eleven were politicians, legal professionals, or public officials; 12 were entertainers or influencers; six were athletes; 28 were virtual asset investors; and eight were self-employed, according to findings.
Of the 21 who suffered actual monetary losses, 10 were corporate chairmen, CEOs, presidents, or executives; three were entertainers or influencers; three were virtual asset investors; and five were others.
Last year, police, in a joint operation with Thai police and Interpol Korea, arrested B, the ring leader who was hiding in a safe house in Bangkok, and extradited the person to Korea.
A, who was with B, was detained locally as an illegal resident; after examining on-site evidence, authorities confirmed joint leadership rather than simple complicity and additionally extradited the person this month.
Police crushed the ring after a three-year, 11-month investigation. Police sent out an Interpol "Purple Notice," a system for sharing criminal methodologies, to disseminate information worldwide on the new SIM-cloning crime method and prevention measures.