Three Members of Cambodia 'Ma Dongseok Team' Phishing Ring Sentenced to Prison in First Trial

Members of a voice phishing ring, who operated under the orders of a ringleader known as 'Ma Dongseok' in Cambodia, have been sentenced to prison in the first trial.

Seoul Eastern District Court building. Photo by Yonhap News

On October 31, the 15th Criminal Division of the Seoul Eastern District Court (Presiding Judge Kim Yanghoon) sentenced Jeong (26) and Choi (31), who were tried on charges including joining a criminal organization, to three years and six months in prison each. In addition, the court ordered Jeong to forfeit 17,469,900 won and Choi to forfeit 12,478,500 won.

The court stated, "Telecommunication financial fraud is a crime that targets unspecified victims and causes significant harm to society. The defendants played a substantial role in deceiving victims as part of the criminal organization." However, the court also noted, "We considered factors such as the actual profits obtained by the defendants being less than the total criminal proceeds."

They were indicted on charges of working in the 'Hanya Call Center,' a voice phishing organization established by the ringleader known as 'Ma Dongseok,' and stealing money from victims through romance scams.

Meanwhile, on the same day, the 11th Criminal Division of the Seoul Eastern District Court (Presiding Judge Kang Minho) sentenced Kim (30), who was tried on similar charges, to two years and six months in prison and ordered a forfeiture of 28,440,000 won.

Kim was also known to have participated in the crimes as a call center agent at the Hanya Call Center.