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Revenge-for-hire gangs still active on Telegram even after recent bust

Published: 30 Mar. 2026, 18:14

The Telegram app logo is seen in this illustration from on Aug. 27, 2024. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

The alleged ringleader of a revenge-for-hire gang was recently busted, but similar rackets continue to operate through Telegram and other social media platforms.

At least four or five Telegram channels offering revenge services remain active as of Monday, according to a JoongAng Ilbo investigation. In these groups, clients typically pay between 700,000 won ($462) and 1 million won to intermediaries who recruit perpetrators through messaging platforms to carry out attacks.

Operators openly advertise services targeting parties involved in financial disputes, extramarital affairs, school violence and scam-related grievances.

“Our office thoroughly resolves clients’ grievances,” responded one operator, whom the JoongAng Ilbo contacted via Telegram. “You must know the target’s personal information.”

The operator continued, “We do not carry out actual killings, but physical attacks may occur if necessary.”

The operator outlined several methods for possible revenge, namely: framing someone for a crime, preventing them from engaging in financial activity, damaging their reputation and hurting them in a way that makes it seem like an accident.

The target "could end up serving a prison sentence or paying fines," they said.

Asked about pricing, the operator explained, “Payment is made either after the job or partially in advance, depending on the request.”

“The remaining balance must be paid within three days, and if it is not paid, the client may become the next target," the operator said.

“If you use a suspicious private investigator agency, you could get caught, but we mainly communicate through Telegram, so clients are not at risk,” a broker found on X added. “If you do not know certain details, we can conduct additional verification for an added fee.”

This comes after police detained the ringleader of a similar revenge-for-hire gang that placed a member in a customer service role at a partner of Korean food delivery service Baedal Minjok to obtain personal information, such as addresses.

A suspect believed to be the ringleader of a group that carried out so-called revenge-for-hire attacks using stolen Baemin customer data leaves the courthouse after a pretrial detention hearing at the Seoul Southern District Court in Yangcheon District, western Seoul, on March 28. [NEWS1]

Police note that reports of similar crimes are continuing nationwide, making broader investigations unavoidable. In one recent case, three suspects were arrested for allegedly throwing human waste and spray-painting graffiti on the entrance of a victim’s home in Uiwang, Gyeonggi, on Wednesday.

“We carried out the crime under instructions from someone on Telegram,” the suspects said during questioning.

Authorities are seeking arrest warrants on charges including property damage, trespassing and defamation.

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 KIM JEONG-JAE, HAN CHAN-WOO [[email protected]]