Romance Scam Ring Busted in Myanmar: Five Managers Indicted and Detained

Joined Myanmar Scam Organization to Commit Crimes
Eight Sent to Trial, One Counselor Still at Large

A group of individuals who committed romance scam crimes targeting Koreans at the so-called "Wongu Complex" in Myanmar have been brought to trial.

The Joint Investigation Division for Voice Phishing Crimes of the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office (headed by Chief Prosecutor Lee Taesoon) announced on March 11 that it had booked nine members of the organization, including Mr. A (25), who was in charge of managing Korean members, on charges of joining and participating in a criminal organization. Among them, five individuals, including Mr. A, have been indicted and detained, while three others, who acted as recruiters, have been indicted without detention. One remaining member, who served as a counselor, is currently being pursued under a warrant for arrest.

Fake accounts and burner phones used to launder money domestically after daily workers returned from Myanmar. Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office

According to prosecutors, from December 2023 to January of last year, Mr. A and others joined a criminal organization at the so-called "Wongu Complex" in Myanmar, which was managed by a Chinese ringleader. They allegedly participated in romance scam operations, acting as managers responsible for interpretation and training of Korean members, recruiters, and counselors.

Initially, during the police investigation phase, authorities apprehended Mr. B (26), a recruiter, and found evidence suggesting involvement with the Myanmar-based criminal organization. However, progress stalled due to Mr. B's refusal to testify. The Joint Investigation Division later analyzed materials seized from Mr. C (26), who had been arrested on suspicion of money laundering. They discovered a letter in which Mr. C told Mr. B, "The police questioned me, but I refused to testify, so make sure the accomplices keep quiet." This discovery led to the arrest of additional accomplices.

The Joint Investigation Division has determined that this case is linked to the same criminal organization responsible for the international scam complex "KK Park" in the Myanmar region, as previously reported by some media outlets.

It was also found that the group members, composed of Millennials & Gen Z, learned the structure of voice phishing crimes while working in overseas call center organizations. After leaving these overseas organizations, they became involved in money laundering operations within Korea, using fake bank accounts and other methods. In particular, they participated in so-called "cutting off the line" schemes, in which they siphoned off victim funds flowing into fake accounts, rather than remitting the money to the overseas call centers.

A spokesperson for the Joint Investigation Division stated, "We will continue to investigate additional accomplices."

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