Who Claimed the 20 Million Won Left in a Taxi, Found by the Police?

A handbag and bundles of cash left in a taxi by a voice phishing courier. [Image source=Busan Police Agency]

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yong-woo] Who is the owner of the 20 million won left in the taxi?

A man in his 20s left a handbag containing bundles of cash in a taxi last month.

When the taxi driver, who tried to find the owner, opened the zipper of the bag, he was surprised to find a large amount of cash inside. The driver thought it would be best to hand the lost item over to the police.

The police began efforts to find the owner, but during the process, the nature of the money was revealed. It was money related to a voice phishing crime.

After receiving a report that 20 million won in cash was found lost in a taxi, the police suspected that the money was lost by a voice phishing courier and cleverly apprehended the suspect.

According to Busan Sasang Police Station on the 13th, around 1 a.m. on the 24th of last month, a taxi driver in his 50s found that Mr. A had left a handbag containing 20 million won in cash on the back seat of a taxi at Busan Sasang Intercity Bus Terminal and reported it to 112.

Officer Lee Jun-hong of Sasang Police Station found a clue to contact inside the bag and called Mr. A. Mr. A replied that he had withdrawn the cash to pay for his grandmother’s surgery. This was a typical excuse used in voice phishing cases to secure cash.

Officer Lee said that he needed to check the bank account details as part of the return procedure, and Mr. A’s flustered tone could be heard over the phone.

Officer Lee contacted the Northern Ulsan Police Station, where the bank that issued the cash bundles is located, and confirmed that similar voice phishing reports had been received. He also found out that Mr. A was wanted as a voice phishing courier by the Goseong Police Station in Gyeongnam Province.

Officer Lee reassured Mr. A and called him to the police station to retrieve the lost item. Mr. A was arrested when he visited Sasang Police Station on the 10th.

The original owner of the 20 million won cash Mr. A had was also identified. It belonged to Mr. B, a man in his 50s living in Ulsan.

It was found that Mr. B was deceived by a low-interest loan offer and met Mr. A in person to hand over the cash.

The police returned the 20 million won in damages to Mr. B and decided to award a letter of appreciation to the taxi driver who reported the lost item.

Officer Lee said, “I thought I must find it by empathizing with the person who lost it, and fortunately, we were able to catch the voice phishing criminal and return the money to the original owner, so I feel rewarded.”

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