"Secretly Added and Resold AirPods": Mobile Phone Store Owner Who Deceived Elderly Customers Referred to Prosecution

Sold Stolen AirPods on Secondhand Markets
Caused Damages Worth 1.06 Million Won

A mobile phone store owner who took advantage of elderly customers' lack of understanding of the phone activation process to misappropriate AirPods has been referred to the prosecution.

The Jungbu Police Station in Busan announced on May 15 that A, a man in his 30s, was sent to the prosecution without detention on April 28 on charges of occupational embezzlement.

According to the police, between January and February, A is suspected of targeting three customers in their 80s and 90s, secretly adding AirPods to their mobile phone purchase contracts during the activation process and then taking the devices for himself.

Investigations revealed that A sold the AirPods, which should have been given to the victims, on secondhand goods trading sites and obtained approximately 1.06 million won in cash.

The police believe that the victims followed A's guidance in signing the phone contracts and were not clearly aware that AirPods had been additionally purchased.

It was reported that A admitted to the charges during the police investigation. The police obtained relevant information, launched an investigation, and recovered the full amount of the stolen funds—1.06 million won—which was returned to the victims.

A police official stated, "If children regularly check their parents' phone bills and contract terms, it can help prevent such incidents," adding, "There is also a need to improve the system, such as establishing preventive measures and simple relief procedures, to ensure that vulnerable members of society are not exploited."

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