"Even though I knew I was picking a money launderer..." 20-year-old handed over Bithumb account at Gangnam hotel [True Story]

4% every month, are paid out consistently.Please visit the website!" The explanation on the screen was enticing to anyone. Accompanied by graphs and flashy subtitles, investment information flowed out stating, "If you simply access the site link at the bottom and sign up, you can earn high returns through proxy investment.
" Investor A, who watched the broadcast, accessed the recommended investment site without hesitation. Then, on July 27, 2025, he transferred a large sum totaling 103,334,000 won in two installments to a designated account.
However, the site A accessed was a fake scam site where no actual investment took place. The large investment funds sent by A immediately began to be laundered without a trace, passing through various accounts managed by a decentralized "leading room" fraud organization. The starting point of this sophisticated and elaborate money laundering dates back to a hotel in Gangnam, Seoul, a month ago.

A dangerous transaction that took place at a hotel in Gangnam-gu On June 27, 2025, at a hotel in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Defendant B (29) met C, a member of a fraudulent investment group, there. C demanded that B hand over a bank account and a burner phone to be used to launder the fraudulent proceeds. B accepted the offer, even though he knew that the means handed over in his name would be misused for criminal purposes. He effectively took on the role of a "money launderer," paving the way for the fraud organization to withdraw and launder the proceeds of the crime.
B handed over his identification card, account number, one-time password (OTP), and ID and password for the virtual asset exchange "Bithumb" on the spot. Furthermore, he helped create a 'burner phone' by inserting a pre-prepared burner SIM card into an unlocked phone brought by a member of the organization. Using this burner phone, C swiftly signed up for an overseas cryptocurrency exchange under B's name.
The bank account handed over by B became a channel for money laundering for the fraud organization. Fraud damages totaling approximately 120 million won, including the money of victim A who fell for the deception in the YouTube broadcast, were laundered without a trace by passing through the initial deposit account and then transferring it a second time to an account in B's name that same afternoon.


Court: "Aiding and Abetting Fraud is Not Light Guilt" According to legal sources on the 30th, the Seoul Northern District Court Criminal Division 1 (Presiding Judge Jeong Deok-su) sentenced B, who was brought to trial on charges of aiding and abetting fraud, to six months in prison on the 21st.
The court pointed out, "The role performed by the defendant was an essential part of the 'leading room' investment fraud, so the culpability is by no means light; furthermore, the amount of damage is large, and no recovery has been made.
" However, the court stated that it considered the defendant's admission of guilt and the fact that he is a first-time offender as mitigating circumstances.
[email protected] Seo Ji-yoon Reporter