Why Did the 'Old Gentleman' in the Black Suit Carry a Fake Urn?

"Parents' Urn Was Broken" ... "I'm Sorry, Please Take This Money"
Busan Nambu Police Station Arrests 60s Man for Extorting Settlement Money Through Intentional Collision Accident

Last June in Nam-gu, Busan, a man in his 60s dressed in black mourning clothes deliberately collided with a car and pretended that an urn was broken. This man was arrested and detained by the police after repeatedly committing fraud across the Busan and Gyeongnam areas by extorting settlement money from drivers. [Image source=Busan Police Agency]

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Kim Yong-woo] One day in mid-June, a woman in her 30s, Ms. A, was driving through a residential area in Nam-gu, Busan, when she was startled by a sudden "thud" sound and stopped her car.

When she opened the car door and went outside, she saw an elderly man in his 60s, Mr. B, who appeared to be a "gentleman," crying sorrowfully while touching broken porcelain bowls on the ground.

He said, "My parents' urn was broken." Flustered, driver Ms. A gave him 300,000 won as the cost of the urn and consolation money before leaving the scene.

The "urn" of this man in his 60s was fake. He deliberately collided with cars to make it seem like an accident and habitually extorted money. Mr. B was arrested.

From May last year until his arrest in July, Mr. B dressed in a black suit as a mourner and roamed around Busan and Gyeongnam areas to extort money.

He put broken white porcelain bowls in a paper bag and deliberately collided with passenger cars in residential alleyways with no CCTV and little traffic, pretending it was an accident. Claiming it was his parents' urn, he collected 1,090,000 won over 11 occasions under the pretense of settlement and consolation money.

In June, a man in his 60s wearing black mourning clothes in Nam-gu, Busan, was arrested by the police for deliberately colliding with a car and pretending that an urn was broken to extort a settlement. The photo shows a silicone protector hidden under his clothes to reduce the impact. This man was arrested and detained by the police for repeatedly committing fraud across the Busan and Gyeongnam areas by extorting settlement money from drivers. [Image source=Busan Police Agency]

The props for the crime were perfect. He meticulously prepared in advance by creating a protective device on his right arm using silicone to guard against impact with the car and carrying an envelope containing a death certificate issued by a crematorium.

The victims, who thought they were the "perpetrators" of the traffic accidents, were willing to settle on the spot because the damage amount was small and they felt sorry for breaking an urn meant for a funeral.

Mr. B’s crimes were uncovered due to an unexpected report. On June 19, a hit-and-run traffic accident was reported in the jurisdiction of the Busan Nambu Police Station.

A citizen who was the "perpetrator" of the traffic accident had reached a settlement with Mr. B but reported the contact accident to the police out of concern that Mr. B might later file a hit-and-run report.

During the investigation, the Busan Nambu Police judged that the accidents were deliberately caused and formed a traffic accident investigation team to prevent further damage.

After three months of tracking investigation, on the 26th, they finally arrested and detained the "elderly gentleman in the black suit."

The Busan police believe there may be more drivers who have been victimized by similar methods and are continuing their investigation.

A police official said, "Especially with Chuseok approaching, there may be similar crimes that evoke sympathy for those visiting ancestral graves, so please report to the police."

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