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Court sentences 46 people for involvement in scam ring based in Cambodia, Thailand

Published: 21 Apr. 2026, 18:36 Updated: 21 Apr. 2026, 19:24

Suspects involved in Cambodian scam networks who were forcibly repatriated to Korea arrive at Dongnae Police Station in Busan on Jan. 23. [YONHAP]

HONGSEONG COUNTY, South Chungcheong — The court sentenced 46 people to up to 10 years in prison for scamming Korean victims while working for a criminal ring based in Cambodia and Thailand.

The Daejeon District Court's Hongseong branch handed down prison terms ranging from one year and eight months to 10 years to the defendants, who were charged with fraud, concealment of criminal proceeds and joining a criminal organization.

All of the defendants were members of the scam ring between 2024 and 2025.

The court determined sentences based on factors such as the duration of involvement, roles within the organization, prior offenses, remorse and efforts to recover damages.

One individual received the maximum 10-year sentence, despite having no prior convictions, for participating in crimes for 14 months, playing a key role in a romance scam operation and earning 8 billion won ($5.4 million) in criminal proceeds for the gang.

Another individual was sentenced to eight years after inflicting damages exceeding 6 billion won, serving as a team leader within the organization and having a prior record for similar crimes.

A female member received a two-year sentence for traveling to Cambodia in exchange for airfare and living expenses, and later acting as a team leader in romance scam operations.

“The defendants denied the charges, claiming they had not joined a criminal organization or had only participated in specific crimes, but none of these claims can be accepted,” the court stated. “They joined a criminal organization in Cambodia and committed crimes with significant social harm, while no meaningful recovery of damages has been made, and victims continue to suffer psychological trauma.”

Suspected members of a scam ring in Cambodia who were repatriated to Korea enter the Daejeon District Court's Hongseong branch in South Chungcheong for their pretrial detention warrant hearing on Oct. 20. [YONHAP]

“All defendants received a base salary within the criminal organization while engaging in romance scams, cryptocurrency investment fraud and no-show scams [fraud involving fake reservations or orders where perpetrators fail to show up]. Some showed no remorse and made no effort to compensate victims,” the court added.

The group was indicted last November after joining an international voice phishing ring operated in Cambodia and Thailand by a leader known as "Bugeon," an alias used by a Chinese national. From June 2024 to July last year, the group defrauded about 110 victims of roughly 9.4 billion won through a range of scams.

The group carried out romance and voice-phishing scams by impersonating prosecutors. The group also carried out cryptocurrency investment scams through so-called “reading rooms,” online group chats that offer fake investment advice. The group also ran proxy-purchasing scams in which victims were tricked into buying goods on behalf of scammers, as well as no-show reservation scams at public institutions.

Investigations showed that the group established a structured criminal organization, dividing roles among sub-leaders — including two Korean mid-level leaders — managers, upper- and lower-level team leaders and phishing teams to target victims, while operating five specialized teams covering each type of scam as well as a customer management unit.

Korean suspects are detained in Cambodia over their alleged involvement in online scam operations on Jan. 22. [KOREAN TASK FORCE ON TACKLING TRANSNATIONAL CRIMES]

The romance scam team created fake social media pages under names such as “Kiss Mia, Honey meeting," then induced interested individuals to transfer money under the pretext of membership and verification fees, extorting about 2.73 billion won. In one case, a victim transferred 1 billion won after falling for a paid-dating scam. Women in their 20s acted as “chatters,” directly engaging with victims to lure them into the schemes.

New members were recruited in a structure similar to a pyramid scheme, in which existing members received recruitment incentives. The organization paid $600 per recruit each month. Some recruits went so far as to bring acquaintances, such as friends or former schoolmates, into the organization.

The organization paid a base salary and offered 10 percent of the proceeds as incentives for successful scams, encouraging further crimes. Members were also sent to nearby countries, such as Thailand and Vietnam, to learn about new types of scams, including cryptocurrency fraud.

Korean nationals detained in Cambodia over alleged involvement in scam operations arrive at Incheon International Airport through a chartered flight for investigation on Jan. 23. [YONHAP]

During the investigation, prosecutors and police persuaded the scammers to identify the group’s leader, Bugeon, and obtained an arrest warrant before requesting an Interpol Red Notice, an international request to locate and provisionally arrest a suspect.

Most of the scammers traveled to Cambodia after being recruited through social media, job postings or personal connections.

Some of the scammers claimed they were forced to take part in crimes against their will, but the court rejected this.

Prosecutors defined the crimes as “economic murder” and repeatedly called for severe punishment.

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 SHIN JIN-HO [[email protected]]