Court Worker Scams Girlfriend Out of $10 Million by Pretending to Be Lawyer - Appeals Court Upholds 7-Year Sentence

The Rise of Professional Impersonation Scams in South Korea

Did you know that South Korea has seen a dramatic surge in professional impersonation scams over the past few years? The case of a 30-year-old court worker who swindled 1.3 billion won from his girlfriend and her family by pretending to be a lawyer has shocked the nation. The Busan High Court recently upheld his 7-year prison sentence, sending a clear message about the severity of such crimes.

This case represents a disturbing trend where criminals exploit positions of trust and authority to defraud vulnerable victims. The defendant, identified only as 'A', worked as a social service worker at a courthouse but convinced his romantic partner and her family that he was a practicing attorney. Voice phishing crimes impersonating lawyers have increased six-fold from 7 cases in 2022 to 43 cases in 2023, according to the Seoul Bar Association's reporting center. This year alone, 16 reports were filed between January and February, showing the escalating nature of these sophisticated frauds.

What makes this case particularly shocking is how the perpetrator used his legitimate workplace - a courthouse - to lend credibility to his false claims. He even went so far as to forge documents making himself appear to be a judge, demonstrating the lengths to which modern scammers will go to maintain their deceptions.

How Romance Was Used as a Weapon

The defendant's methodology was as calculated as it was cruel. In December 2022, he approached a woman we'll call 'B' and began a romantic relationship under the pretense of being a lawyer. After promising marriage, he systematically extracted money from her using elaborate lies about legal troubles involving his mother's alleged financial guarantees.

Between September 2023 and June 2024, he convinced B to lend him money 237 times, totaling 737.61 million won. His story was always the same: his mother had secretly used his lawyer's license as collateral for guarantees, and he needed urgent funds for settlements. He promised to repay everything once he received his legal fees. This pattern of exploitation extended to B's sister and brother-in-law, from whom he extracted an additional 646.99 million won through 86 separate transactions.

Korean online communities have expressed particular outrage at how the scammer exploited romantic relationships. Comments on platforms like Naver and Daum show users feeling betrayed not just by the financial aspects, but by the emotional manipulation involved. One commenter wrote: This isn't just theft - it's psychological warfare against people who trusted him with their hearts. The cultural significance of marriage promises in Korean society made this betrayal especially painful for victims and their families.

The Gambling Addiction Behind the Scam

Perhaps most tragically, the court revealed that the defendant squandered most of the stolen money on gambling. Out of the 1.3 billion won he obtained, he spent 204.37 million won on illegal online betting sites. This gambling addiction appears to have been the driving force behind his increasingly desperate fraudulent schemes.

The case highlights South Korea's ongoing struggle with gambling addiction and illegal online betting. Recent police crackdowns have revealed extensive networks of crypto investment scams and illegal gambling operations. In May 2025, authorities arrested 25 individuals connected to crypto scam rings that defrauded 48 victims of 734 million won. These cases often follow similar patterns - initial success leads to larger bets, which require more fraud to sustain the cycle.

Korean netizens have been particularly vocal about the gambling aspect of this case. Many comments on DC Inside and other forums express frustration that gambling addiction is being used as an excuse for criminal behavior. The general sentiment is that while addiction may explain the behavior, it doesn't excuse the systematic betrayal of trust that occurred over nearly two years.

The Court's Harsh Verdict and Public Response

The Busan High Court's decision to uphold the 7-year sentence reflects the severity with which Korean courts view professional impersonation fraud. Presiding Judge Park Un-sam noted that the defendant had even forged documents to make himself appear to be a judge, calling the victims' sense of betrayal unprecedented compared to other cases.

The court emphasized that 970 million won of the stolen funds remains unrecovered, and the defendant has not received forgiveness from any of his victims. This lack of restitution played a significant role in the court's decision to maintain the harsh sentence. The judge stated: Considering all sentencing factors, the original sentence does not exceed judicial discretion.

Public reaction has been overwhelmingly supportive of the court's decision. Online communities like TheQoo and Instiz have praised the judiciary for taking a firm stance against such crimes. However, many users have also expressed concern about the victims' financial recovery. Comments frequently mention the difficulty of recovering funds from gambling addicts, with one user noting: Even with a 7-year sentence, those families may never see their money again. The emotional damage might be permanent too.

The Broader Pattern of Professional Impersonation

This case is part of a larger trend of professional impersonation scams targeting vulnerable populations in South Korea. Recent reports show that fake law firms have been created specifically to conduct voice phishing operations, with scammers stealing real lawyers' photos and credentials to create convincing websites. The Gwangju Police Agency recently investigated a law firm that was promoting legal services using stolen ID photos of lawyers from the Gwangju Bar Association.

The sophistication of these scams has increased dramatically. Criminal organizations now operate call centers designed to appear as legitimate investment advisory services, with some groups generating hundreds of millions in fraudulent revenue. A recent case involved a bust-out scheme where Korean nationals used altered passports to open bank accounts and conduct check-kiting operations, resulting in over $2.5 million in losses to financial institutions.

Korean legal blogs and forums have been documenting these trends extensively. Legal professionals are increasingly warning clients to verify credentials through official channels before engaging with any law firm. The Korean Bar Association has implemented new verification systems, but the rapid evolution of scam techniques continues to challenge these protective measures.

Prevention and Protection Measures

The Korean legal community has responded to this crisis with enhanced verification protocols and public awareness campaigns. The Korean Bar Association now provides online verification tools where potential clients can confirm a lawyer's registration status before engaging their services. Legal blogs consistently emphasize three key verification steps: checking Google Maps and Naver Maps for actual office locations, verifying lawyer registration through official bar association databases, and ensuring payment accounts match the lawyer's or law firm's registered name.

Financial institutions have also implemented stronger protections against romance scams and professional impersonation fraud. New regulations require additional verification for large transfers, especially when they involve repeated transactions to the same recipient. However, as this case demonstrates, determined scammers can still exploit emotional relationships to circumvent these safeguards.

The case has sparked discussions about the need for stronger penalties for professional impersonation. Legal experts argue that because these crimes exploit institutional trust, they should carry enhanced sentences beyond standard fraud charges. The 7-year sentence in this case may represent a shift toward harsher treatment of such crimes, particularly when they involve sustained deception and emotional manipulation.

For international observers, this case illustrates the global nature of romance scams and professional impersonation fraud. While the specific cultural context involves Korean marriage customs and legal procedures, the underlying tactics - building trust through false credentials, exploiting emotional relationships, and using gambling or investment stories to justify ongoing financial requests - are universal patterns that affect victims worldwide.