[Number 112] Living Expenses → Recidivism → Addiction... The Trap of 'Deliberate Traffic Accident' That Hit the 20s

[Financial News] <Editor's Note> The average daily 112 reports received nationwide are about 50,000 cases. 140,000 police officers respond to these numerous reports to maintain public order. In a situation where crimes occur almost every day, there is no room to relax. 'Number 112' conveys the vivid stories of police officers facing incidents daily at the forefront of public security.

"Many young people who want to make money easily get involved in insurance fraud. Once you fall into it, it's hard to resist the temptation."
Son Seok-won, the traffic investigation team leader (Inspector) at Seocho Police Station, compared deliberate traffic accident insurance fraud to 'drugs.' According to Team Leader Son, it is one of the easiest crimes for those in their 20s and 30s who need cash immediately to get involved in. The accessibility has decreased compared to the past, and it's hard to escape from addiction, which is also a common point with drugs.
The suspects in the case handed over to the prosecution by Seocho Station last June were all men in their 20s. The main culprit, Mr. A (detained), and three accomplices were found to have deliberately caused traffic accidents 27 times from early 2023 to last February, embezzling a total of 140 million won in insurance money.
They reportedly committed the crime to cover entertainment and living expenses. Team Leader Son said, "People in their 20s have a lot they want to do and lack self-control. Young people who haven't served in the military tend to be worse," adding, "Once they start, crime becomes a habit."
The suspects seem to have started causing deliberate accidents to make money easily after their spending increased while working delivery jobs. When a traffic accident occurs and they claim insurance, the insurance company sends the money to their account within 1-2 weeks. This experience of receiving cash without much difficulty accumulates. The number of crimes increases, and the recidivism rate rises. The main culprit, Mr. A, had already been tried for the same charges and committed the crime again. He even increased the scale of the crime by taking two friends he knew as passengers to raise the settlement money.
They mainly targeted vehicles violating traffic regulations. They collided with vehicles that did not keep their lanes while turning left at intersections or changing lanes. In insurance fraud disguised as ordinary traffic accidents, the owner of the vehicle violating the regulations becomes the perpetrator. The case is simple to handle, and it is easy to receive a large settlement. Most are minor accidents, making it difficult to determine whether it is insurance fraud based on individual cases. However, if the crime is repeated, they eventually get caught. The police mainly look into suspected deliberate traffic accident cases requested for investigation by insurance companies and the Financial Supervisory Service.
This case took relatively long to prove the charges. The suspects admitted only some cases as deliberate accidents and denied most as negligence.
The investigating officer, Kim Oh-hyun, put a lot of effort into analyzing the same video more than 50 times. Unlike ordinary drivers who slow down or honk when facing an oncoming vehicle, they had to capture habits such as adjusting speed consistently or timing, which are acquired when frequently causing deliberate accidents. The black box video registered in the Insurance Credit Information Integrated Inquiry System (ICIS) operated by the Korea Credit Information Service becomes a key clue to proving the charges. Officer Kim said, "When you keep watching the video, you start to see things you didn't see before. The process of finding commonalities in dozens of accidents is similar to putting together a puzzle, which requires more effort than any other traffic accident case." The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency recently selected this case as an excellent example in recognition of the investigation's contribution.
Even if suspected as insurance fraud, there are cases where it cannot be proven, so drivers need to be cautious. Team Leader Son emphasized, "Even if a deliberate accident is suspected, it cannot be proven without video. If the perpetrator of a traffic accident is passive, they may not submit the video, so it is good to back up the video in case of an accident."

unsaid@fnnews.com Kang Myung-yeon, reporter