"I was imprisoned" 50s man arrested for making 50,000 false reports over a year

[Financial News] A man in his 50s who made over 50,000 false reports over a year has been caught by the police.
Seoul Seongbuk Police Station announced on the 23rd that they arrested and detained a man in his 50s, Mr. A, on charges of obstructing official duties by deception under the Criminal Act.
Mr. A made false reports 58,307 times over the past year, with some reports being received as code 2 (on-site dispatch code) or higher, resulting in 51 police dispatches.
It was investigated that he made false reports from his residence, claiming "someone stole the refrigerator," "I will kill my brother," and "I was imprisoned," despite not being in an urgent or emergency situation.
In May, dissatisfied with receiving a notice of violation under the Minor Offenses Act for false reporting to 112, he made 1,882 reports over about four days. He also has a history of receiving seven notices related to false reports to 112 since 2023.
The police proved the crime by analyzing the 112 report history, handling records, report patterns, and contents. When Mr. A did not comply with the summons, they obtained an arrest warrant, apprehended him, and detained him.
The police are considering not only criminal punishment for suspect Mr. A but also civil compensation for the dispatch costs incurred due to false reports.
A police official stated, "If police resources are misallocated due to false reports in life-or-death emergencies, the damage directly affects the public," and urged, "False reports are a serious crime that can prevent citizens who truly need police assistance from receiving it. 112 should only be used in genuinely necessary situations."

jyseo@fnnews.com Seo Ji-yoon Reporter