Luxury Goods Fraudsters Arrested After Faking French Police Report

A sophisticated scam involving a luxury goods purchasing agency has been brought to light, leading to the indictment of two women in South Korea. The suspects, aged in their 40s and 30s, are accused of defrauding seven individuals of a total of 216.91 million won (approximately $155,000 USD).

Prosecutors allege that the women operated the agency from October 2022 to July 2023. During this period, they received membership fees and deposits from clients, which they allegedly used to cover the company's operating expenses, including salaries. As their financial situation worsened, they became incapable of fulfilling purchase orders or returning deposits, even with new funds from incoming members.

When clients began to protest, the women resorted to further criminal activity, including document forgery. They allegedly created a fake crime report, purportedly from a French police officer, claiming that a warehouse storing the luxury goods had been burglarized on August 14, 2023. This fabricated report was submitted to the police and courts.

Based on the submitted documents, the initial police investigation concluded that the goods were stolen and the agency had gone bankrupt, leading to the case being closed without prosecution in March 2024. However, upon receiving an appeal, the prosecution service deemed further investigation necessary. They requested international judicial assistance from France, analyzed bank accounts, and re-interviewed victims. This supplementary investigation uncovered the forgery of the document and the women's subsequent crimes, including the use of forged documents. The suspects have reportedly confessed to the charges.

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We will continue to strive for the protection of victims' rights and will strictly deal with fraudsters targeting the poor and vulnerable, as well as those who submit false evidence to undermine the judicial order.