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A girl from South Korea has been apprehended on allegations of misappropriating a “friend’s” $481,000 in cryptocurrency to settle her debts.
Authorities at the Jeju Dongbu Police Station, located in the autonomous Jeju Island Province, reported that the girl is “in her 40s,” according to the media outlet Newsis on January 16.
South Korean Girl ‘Fled After Stealing Crypto’
A spokesperson for the Jeju police indicated that the unnamed individual may be charged with “fraud and theft.” Investigators believe she could have breached the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes.
Jeju Dongbu Police Station. (Source: Abasaa)
Authorities suspect the girl took a mobile phone from the “victim” (referred to as B in media reports) at the latter’s residence in Jeju City at 11:50 PM on January 7.
Investigators believe the girl obtained B’s personal information “in advance.” She then allegedly utilized this information “to unlock the phone.”
The woman is said to have sold approximately 700 million won ($481,000) worth of cryptocurrency for cash, likely using cryptocurrency exchange and banking applications on B’s device.
She reportedly transferred the fiat currency to her own bank accounts.
Authorities believe the girl fled shortly thereafter. Officers stated she “boarded a plane” headed to another region of South Korea “on the morning of January 8.”
However, after B reported the “theft” to the police, officers acted swiftly. They tracked the suspect’s location to a hotel in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, on the same day.
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Authorities confirmed they had apprehended the girl “on an emergency basis.”
South Korea is considering purchasing additional oil and gas from the US to diversify its energy sources and potentially mitigate the threat of President-elect Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs https://t.co/PxwF53tcNf
— Bloomberg (@business) January 16, 2025
‘Friends’ Met on a Chat App
A spokesperson noted that the pair had “met on a mobile chat app platform several months ago.” However, officials did not clarify whether the two were romantically involved.
The girl is thought to have made at least a partial admission. During police interrogation, she reportedly stated that she “committed the crime to pay off her debts.”
The police spokesperson mentioned that the investigation is still ongoing and that the case has not yet been forwarded to the prosecution service.
In December of the previous year, a South Korean court sentenced a bank employee who embezzled funds from his employer to purchase cryptocurrency to 15 years in prison.
The United States, Japan, and South Korea issued a joint statement detailing North Korea-linked cryptocurrency thefts and their targeted entities. #NorthKorea #CryptoThefts #LazarusGroup https://t.co/uTkzpYvnTe
— Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) January 15, 2025
The United States, Japan, and South Korea issued a joint statement detailing North Korea-linked cryptocurrency thefts and their targeted entities. #NorthKorea #CryptoThefts #LazarusGroup https://t.co/uTkzpYvnTeThe month prior, a branch of the South Korean high court sentenced a “theme park” cryptocurrency scammer to 12 years in prison.
The fraudster misled his investors by claiming he had a permit to construct a multimillion-dollar park near the Demilitarized Zone and the border with North Korea.
The post South Korean Girl ‘Stole Friend’s $481k Crypto Stash’ to Pay Off Debt appeared first on Cryptonews.
