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Man gets 20 years for swindling $7M by faking relationship

Published: 16 Jul. 2025, 18:16

An image of a statue of Justitia, the goddess of justice [KOREA JOONGANG DAILY]

A man was sentenced to 20 years in prison for swindling 10 billion won ($7.21 million) from the wealthy family of a woman he pretended to date.

The Daegu District Court on Wednesday handed down the sentence to the man, who was indicted on fraud charges under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes.

An accomplice who was indicted without detention for helping stash part of the stolen cash was sentenced to one year in prison, suspended for two years.

The man approached the woman in November 2023 and pretended to be in a romantic relationship with her until March of this year, according to the court. He then gained access to 10 billion won in cash and assets that her wealthy parents kept at home and in their bank accounts.

Investigators found that the man laundered about 7 billion won of the stolen money by buying gift certificates and reselling them to convert the funds back into cash. He then gave a portion to his accomplice.

The court said the defendant “not only committed economic fraud but also psychologically destroyed an individual,” adding that the victim had requested the maximum punishment.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY KIM EUN-BIN [[email protected]]