"Group Sitting in Cars to Collect 1.6 Billion Won in Insurance Money"

Hospital Director of Korean Medicine Intentionally Collides with Vehicles That Changed Lanes or Ran Red Lights and Aided False Hospitalization, Booked Without Detention

A gang that deliberately caused traffic accidents targeting vehicles violating traffic laws and received insurance payouts worth 1.6 billion won was caught by the police.

Insurance Fraud Accident Scene [Photo by Incheon Police Agency]

On the 4th, the Gyeyang Police Station in Incheon announced that it had arrested two people, including Mr. A (23), who deliberately caused 183 traffic accidents over four years from May 2019 in the Incheon and Gyeonggi areas, on charges of violating the Special Act on the Prevention of Insurance Fraud. The 151 accomplices who were passengers at the time of the accidents and the director of a Korean medicine hospital who helped their false hospitalizations were booked without detention.

According to the police investigation, Mr. A and others drove foreign cars with several people on board and deliberately caused accidents when they spotted vehicles crossing lanes or violating signals. The total amount of medical expenses and settlement money they received from insurance companies due to these traffic accidents was 1.67 billion won.

Mr. A posted on his social networking service (SNS) a message recruiting people to "sit in the car and make money," and it was found that he recruited accomplices among neighborhood friends and seniors and juniors. They continuously changed passengers to avoid suspicion of crimes and borrowed the names of passengers with no accident history in case insurance enrollment was rejected.

They involved the director of a Korean medicine hospital in Incheon, aiming to receive higher settlement money by being hospitalized. The hospital helped Mr. A and others with false hospitalizations and claimed hospitalization costs from the insurance company, fraudulently receiving about 40 million won.

Mr. A admitted the charges, stating, "I committed the crime to make a living because I had no decent job or living expenses," and asked for leniency.

A police official said, "Vehicles that violate signals or cross lanes when making left turns were mainly targeted," and urged, "If insurance fraud is suspected, please report the accident to the insurance company, secure photos and videos of the scene, and report to the police."

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