[Diesel Exhaust Fluid Crisis] Diesel Exhaust Fluid Scams Rampant... Used Platforms Face 'Transaction Ban'

Fraud Schemes Exploit Diesel Exhaust Fluid Shortage
Fake Sites Appear Alongside Used Goods Scams
Police Launch Internal and External Investigations into 44 DEF Fraud Cases
Used Goods Platforms Impose 'Transaction Restrictions'
Amid Chaos, 'Donation Angels' Step Forward with Good Deeds

On the 4th, a cargo truck is stopped at the Western Truck Terminal in Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, where the shortage of diesel vehicle urea, an essential element for operation, is worsening day by day. The government is reviewing all necessary measures to ensure a stable supply of urea, including resuming exports through consultations with China, converting industrial urea for vehicle use, import substitution, and customs clearance support. / Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Song Seung-yoon] Kim Ho-in (31, pseudonym), a truck driver, has been losing sleep these days. He needs to refill his AdBlue every 2 to 3 days, but he has run out of the AdBlue he had and cannot buy it at a reasonable price. Although he transferred money in advance to a seller who claimed to sell AdBlue online, he was unfortunately scammed.

Scams exploiting the "AdBlue crisis" are rampant. A typical scam method is advertising AdBlue at a low price, then taking advance payments from buyers who contact them but never delivering the product. In some cases, scammers claim there are many people waiting and that a reservation deposit is required, take the deposit, and then disappear. Recently, as various scam methods became known, scam sites impersonating official sales websites have also appeared.

Victim groups have even formed in KakaoTalk group chats and online communities. Given the situation, Junggonara, a used goods trading platform, posted a notice stating that it would restrict AdBlue transactions within its cafe during the government's crackdown period on AdBlue trading. Nevertheless, suspicious posts suspected of being scams continue to appear in various places such as truck and automobile-related cafes.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

As of the 9th, 44 reports of cyber fraud related to AdBlue sales have been filed with the police. All are damages caused by used goods transactions. The police have launched investigations or preliminary inquiries into these cases. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency is handling 13 cases, the Gyeongbuk Police Agency 7 cases, and the remaining cases are being reviewed by local police agencies and stations nationwide. The police have designated responsible investigative agencies for cyber fraud related to AdBlue and are conducting focused investigations. Cases with large-scale damages will be investigated by the cybercrime investigation units of the provincial police agencies.

Various incidents surrounding AdBlue continue to occur. On the 1st, in Jeju City, a truck driver who secretly stole 30 containers of AdBlue stored in a warehouse was caught by the police. Hoarding practices also persist. The government is operating a joint inspection team to monitor illegal distribution under the notice prohibiting hoarding of AdBlue and its raw material urea, effective from midnight on the 8th. According to the Price Stabilization Act, violations of hoarding or emergency supply adjustment measures can result in imprisonment for up to 3 years or fines up to 100 million won.

Despite these circumstances, the footsteps of "donation angels" do not cease. Citizens anonymously leave or donate AdBlue at fire stations nationwide, emergency rooms, and local governments in succession.

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