"High Income Possible as Paparazzi" ... Group Caught Illegally Selling 'Molka' Hidden Cameras

Seoul City Criminally Charges Academy Directors and CEOs for Selling Chinese Goods Worth 60,000 Won at 1.6 Million Won

Bag-type hidden cameras sold by the head of the Paparazzi Academy and others.

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] Three individuals, including the head and CEO of a Paparazzi academy, were criminally charged for illegally selling high-priced hidden cameras by misleading consumers with claims that they could earn high income through paparazzi (informants reporting illegal activities for reward money) activities.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Civil Affairs Judicial Police Unit on the 26th, they operated an unregistered door-to-door sales business selling hidden cameras and lured vulnerable groups to visit their company by falsely advertising job opportunities through classified ads in lifestyle magazines.

Outwardly, they operated a paparazzi training institution and consulted as if stable and high profits could be earned, but they sold Chinese-made hidden cameras costing about 60,000 KRW each at 1.6 million KRW per unit to visiting consumers.

The suspects did not report this business method as a door-to-door sales business, which must be reported to the local district office. In particular, the head of the academy, who was charged, was found to have operated the paparazzi academy and sold hidden cameras for several years while frequently changing the company name.

The suspects established consultation principles for salespeople (door-to-door sales agents) such as "Never discuss cameras if the other party inquires about cameras" and "Do not mention camera sales before inquiries about cameras," and tried to conceal the fact that they were selling hidden cameras until consumers visited the company.

They also exaggerated the reward system for reporting as if it were a special government program created to generate jobs for middle-aged and older adults, and promoted themselves as if they were receiving government support or were related to government institutions.

Misled by such promotions, 365 consumers who visited the company from February to August last year purchased Chinese-made hidden cameras worth a total of approximately 540 million KRW.

They posted job advertisements in lifestyle magazines with phrases such as "Recruiting public interest citizen agents, middle-aged and senior jobs (lifelong careers) government subsidies, possible 2 million KRW per month."

They also posted promotional messages on social media such as "Not a private or non-governmental organization but a government-led national project," and "A place established by special law to reemploy highly skilled middle-aged personnel to create income opportunities in areas where public officials cannot reach," misleading consumers.

Under the Door-to-Door Sales Act, door-to-door sales operators who use false or exaggerated facts or deceptive methods to lure or transact with consumers face imprisonment of up to 2 years or fines up to 50 million KRW, and unregistered door-to-door sales businesses face imprisonment of up to 1 year or fines up to 30 million KRW.

This case began investigation after a victim who purchased a hidden camera from the company, deceived by the suspects' false and exaggerated promotions, filed a public interest report with the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission.

Park Jae-yong, head of the Seoul Civil Affairs Judicial Police Unit, said, "If goods are sold after luring people to an office through advertisements related to employment or jobs, it is necessary to verify with relevant institutions whether the door-to-door sales business is registered and whether the advertisement content is true to prevent damage," and urged, "Please actively report crimes that exploit job shortages to deceive ordinary citizens."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.