 ▲ 강제 송환된 피의자들이 공항 입국장에서 나와 호송차량 탑승을 위해 공항 내부에서 이동 중이다/부산경찰청 © 배종태 기자 |
[브레이크뉴스=배종태 기자] 부산경찰청 반부패경제범죄수사대가 정부 합동 ‘초국가범죄 특별대응 태스크포스(T/F)’를 통해 캄보디아에서 강제 송환된 ‘노쇼 사기’ 범죄조직 52명을 전원 구속했다.
이들은 지난해 8월부터 12월까지 4개월간 피해자 210명으로부터 총 71억 원을 편취한 것으로 드러났다.
캄보디아 근거지 둔 ‘홍후이 그룹’
경찰에 따르면 피의자들은 캄보디아 시아누크빌에 근거지를 둔 ‘홍후이 그룹’ 소속으로, 중국인 총책과 한국인 관리책 등이 포함된 5개 팀 체계로 운영됐다. 건물은 경비원이 전기충격봉을 소지하고 외부 출입을 통제하는 등 사실상 ‘감금형 근무’가 이뤄졌으며, 관리자급 일부만 외부 출입이 가능했다.
조직원들은 성과급을 노리고 피해자를 속여 금전을 편취했으며, “짧게 범행하고 잡히면 억울하다”는 등의 대화를 나누는 등 범죄에 대한 죄책감이 없었던 것으로 경찰은 전했다.
관공서·공공기관 사칭해 대리구매 요청
이들은 구청·문화재단·군부대·병원·기업 등 144개 기관을 사칭해 ‘특정 거래처 물품을 대신 구매해 달라’며 접근한 뒤 대금을 가로챘다.
범행은 2단계 구조로 이뤄졌는데, ‘1선’이 공무원 등을 사칭해 위조 명함과 공문을 보내 거래를 제안하고, ‘2선’이 위조된 사업자등록증과 견적서를 제공해 피해금을 대포통장으로 송금받는 방식이었다.
범죄조직은 실제 수의계약 정보를 분석해 각 기관의 담당자와 사업체 명단을 바탕으로 맞춤형 범행 시나리오를 만들어 배포했으며, 사칭 기관이 중복되지 않도록 ‘DB공유방’, ‘업체공유방’, ‘1선방’, ‘입금방’ 등 역할별 단체 대화방을 운영했다.
범죄수익 대부분 중국인 총책이 차지
피의자들은 기본급과 성과급을 약속받고 조직에 가담했으나 대부분 성과 부족으로 급여조차 제대로 받지 못했고, 수익 대부분은 중국인 총책이 가져간 것으로 드러났다. 구속된 52명 중 20대 21명, 30대 24명, 40대 7명이며, 최연소는 20세였다.
SNS 대화에는 피해자를 조롱하거나 하루 1억 원씩 범행을 성공한 뒤 유흥업소 방문을 약속하는 등 반사회적 태도가 다수 확인됐다.
브로커 통해 캄보디아로 이동
피의자 상당수는 대포통장 판매 등으로 범죄에 연루된 뒤 브로커를 통해 ‘고수익 보장’을 미끼로 캄보디아로 이동했다. 일부는 도박 빚 등 채무 문제로 현혹돼 출국했으며, 현지 도착 후 여권과 휴대폰을 압수당한 채 범행에 동원된 사례도 있었다.
 ▲ 자료는 캄보디아 조직도/부산경찰청 © 배종태 기자 |
경찰, 인터폴 수배·환수 수사 지속
경찰은 피의자 전원을 전기통신사기피해환급법 위반 및 범죄단체가입 혐의로 구속 송치했으며, 아직 검거되지 않은 한국인 여성 관리책 등 2명은 인터폴 적색수배를 내리고 국제공조수사를 진행 중이다. 범죄수익 추적과 환수도 병행한다.
부산경찰청은 지난해 12월부터 지방정부 및 공공기관과 협업해 391개 기관, 1만7천여 개 업체를 대상으로 노쇼 사기 예방 홍보를 벌이고 있다.
경찰 관계자는 “노쇼 사기범들이 관공서뿐 아니라 기업·병원 등으로 범위를 확대하고 있다”며 “물품 대리구매 요청은 전형적 사기 수법으로, 반드시 기관의 공식 연락처로 진위를 확인해야 한다”고 강조했다.
[Here’s an English news article] Cambodia-based ‘no-show’ fraud ring extradited to Korea; 52 suspects charged in W71 billion scam
The Busan Metropolitan Police Agency has arrested and detained 52 members of a Cambodia-based “no-show” fraud ring who allegedly defrauded 210 victims of a total of 7.1 billion won between Aug. 22 and Dec. 9 last year. The suspects were identified and brought back to Korea through a pan-government “transnational crime response” task force, and all 52 have been placed under arrest pending trial.
According to the Busan police anti-corruption and economic crime unit, the group operated under the name “Honghui Group” out of Sihanoukville, Cambodia, and was structured with a Chinese ringleader, Chinese and Korean managers, team leaders and team members, divided into five teams. Access to the building was strictly controlled, with security guards reportedly carrying stun batons at the entrance, and most operatives were required to stay inside, while only some managers were allowed to move freely outside.
Investigators said the suspects voluntarily joined the organization and actively deceived victims in order to earn base pay and performance-based bonuses from criminal proceeds. In one recovered conversation, a suspect is quoted as saying that making a lot of money and then serving prison time is acceptable, but being arrested after only a short period of offending would feel unfair, while a broker-type contact reassures the suspect by boasting that he has avoided arrest for more than 10 years.
The group allegedly used a two-step “no-show” fraud scheme that mirrors other recent cases. First-line callers collected company information, then telephoned businesses while impersonating public officials, sending forged business cards and official documents and asking them to make proxy purchases from designated suppliers. Posing, for example, as a district office employee, they told victims that they needed to purchase gas detectors and would connect them with a supplier.
When a victim contacted the second-line operator, the suspect sent forged business registration documents and estimates, then instructed the victim to wire funds to bank accounts opened in false names, police said. The fraudsters exploited businesses’ desire to maintain smooth relationships with government agencies and the tendency of sellers to avoid rejecting customer requests, and tailored scenarios using actual data on private contracts and contracting officers. Officials said the group impersonated a total of 144 entities, including government offices, public institutions, public corporations, schools, religious organizations and private companies.
To avoid overlapping targets, the organization divided and shared information by team and by date. Police said the group ran multiple chat rooms, including a “DB sharing room” for overall data, a “company sharing room” for impersonated institutions, a “first-line room” to report initial contact with potential victims, a “second-line room” for forged tax invoices after calls, a “reservation room” to report successful or failed attempts, and a main “deposit room” where results were reported to the ringleader.
Most suspects told police they failed to meet performance targets and did not even receive their promised base salary, with the bulk of the illegal proceeds allegedly going to the Chinese ringleader. The 52 suspects include 21 people in their 20s, 24 in their 30s and seven in their 40s, with the youngest aged 20. Social media messages reviewed by investigators contained comments mocking victim companies after phone calls and messages about all 10 core members each making more than 100 million won in a day before going out to entertainment venues in Cambodia.
Many of the suspects initially became involved in crime by selling bank accounts or phones used for phishing, then moved on to full participation in the Cambodia-based organization through brokers. Some told investigators they were lured overseas by promises of high earnings while struggling with gambling debts and other liabilities, received airline tickets – either via direct flights or through third countries – and then had their passports and mobile phones confiscated on arrival before being forced into the scam operation.
The 52 suspects are being held on charges including violating the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes (telecommunications fraud refund law) and membership in a criminal organization, and will stand trial in custody. Authorities plan to seek Interpol red notices and international cooperation to track down at least two remaining suspects, including a Korean woman identified as a local manager, and to continue aggressive tracing and seizure of criminal proceeds.
Since December last year, Busan police have been working with local governments and public bodies to mount a prevention campaign against no-show fraud targeting 391 institutions and more than 17,000 businesses.
Police warned that recent scams increasingly involve impersonation not only of government agencies and public institutions but also of companies and hospitals, and urged businesses to verify any reservation or order directly through official contact numbers. Officials stressed that any unsolicited request to make a proxy purchase on behalf of an institution is a hallmark of no-show fraud and should be refused immediately.
원본 기사 보기:부산브레이크뉴스
