A man surnamed Oh was arrested for pretending to be a doctor in order to scam women through a chat app, police said Tuesday.
Oh, who is in his 30s, met three women through the app from January to May telling them that he wished to meet them on the premise of marriage. The app allows users to message each other anonymously.
The suspect’s profile on the random chatting app (Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency)
The police charged him for allegedly scamming the women into giving him 11.1 million won ($9,900).
Oh had introduced himself as a cardiothoracic doctor in a hospital in Seoul although he was unemployed and did not have a college degree.
The women were fooled as Oh had uploaded photos of him wearing a doctor’s gown and scrubs on his Instagram. However the pictures were photos of another person.
After getting closer with the women, Oh asked them for funeral expenses for his relative, traffic accident penalty fees and living expenses, among others. Despite never meeting Oh, the women transferred the money. Oh said it was difficult to meet in person because he had to do several surgeries.
The women reported him to the police after he disappeared once he received the money.
Oh had a record of three similar cases in which he was sentenced to one year in jail, but was released in August 2017.
By Chyung Eun-ju (
ejchyung@heraldcorp.com)
