Foolish thieves pay for water with Samsung Pay during liquor heist
Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
At a glance
- Five individuals stole liquor from a convenience store but paid for bottled water using Samsung Pay, leaving crucial evidence.
- The store owner reported the incident to the police, who were confident of a quick arrest due to the digital payment trail.
- Online commenters criticized the thieves' foolishness, noting that paying with cash would have made apprehension more difficult.
A group of five thieves in South Korea committed a brazen liquor heist, but their plan unraveled due to a surprisingly foolish mistake: paying for bottled water with Samsung Pay. The incident, which occurred at a convenience store in Daecheon Beach, has drawn widespread ridicule online.
Theft requires intelligence, but they used Samsung Pay for the payment.
According to the store owner, the five men entered the store late at night and, after a brief, seemingly coordinated discussion in front of the CCTV cameras, proceeded to select items including water, drinks, ramen, snacks, and soju glasses. While three of the men pocketed bottles of liquor and fled, the remaining two created a diversion by proceeding to the counter.
As the owner finalized the transaction for the water and other items, the thieves left the store, reportedly laughing and appearing jubilant. However, their celebration was short-lived. The owner noticed that the payment for the water had been made via Samsung Pay, providing a clear digital footprint of their activity.
The police were notified and were expected to apprehend the suspects swiftly.
"Theft requires intelligence, but they used Samsung Pay for the payment," the owner stated, adding that the police had been notified and were expected to apprehend the suspects swiftly. Police later visited the store, took a statement, and praised the owner for securing strong evidence, expressing confidence that the thieves would be caught soon.
Samsung Pay was used so meticulously.
Online reactions have been overwhelmingly critical of the thieves' lack of foresight. Comments ranged from sarcastic remarks about their "thoroughness" in using Samsung Pay to observations that they would likely face much harsher penalties than the cost of the stolen liquor. Many users expressed disbelief at the thieves' stupidity, with one commenter noting, "If your brain is dull, you should at least live honestly."
If your brain is dull, you should at least live honestly.
Originally published by Dong-A Ilbo in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.