So-called "revenge-for-hire" services, which carry out personal retaliation for a fee, have been rapidly spreading across online and offline channels. A customer service agent who infiltrated a Baemin (Baedal Minjok) outsourcing firm and leaked personal information to a revenge-for-hire ring was found to have received tens of millions of won in return. Police have formed a dedicated task force and are investigating the organization, which is believed to have solicited business from victims of so-called "bank account blackmail."
Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Commissioner Park Jeong-bo said at a regular press briefing held at the agency's headquarters in Naeja-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul on the morning of Jan. 6, "We have detained and referred to prosecution four individuals — the operator of an online private investigation service and an accomplice, an informant who provided personal data to the service, and a perpetrator who carried out the actual crimes on the ground." He added, "Going forward, an investigation into the clients who commissioned the services will be necessary."
Police said they plan to apply charges of criminal organization to the revenge-for-hire ring. They also explained that clients could be charged as accomplices, instigators, or members of a criminal organization.
Recently, a revenge-for-hire ring planted an operative as a fake employee at a customer service partner firm of Baemin, a major Korean food delivery platform, to steal personal information. The ring then carried out acts of terror at victims' residences, including spreading human feces and spraying lacquer paint. The organization was found to have solicited business through Telegram, targeting people who had been subjected to "bank account blackmail." Bank account blackmail involves depositing small amounts of criminal proceeds into a victim's bank account, then reporting it to financial authorities. Once the account is flagged as linked to voice phishing and its deposits and withdrawals are frozen, the blackmailers threaten to "lock your account." The ring was found to have continued its business by approaching people victimized through this method, offering to "carry out revenge on their behalf."
To obtain the addresses and other details of retaliation targets, the revenge-for-hire ring placed its informant as a customer service agent at a Baemin outsourcing partner firm to receive personal information. The informant was found to have received tens of millions of won in return, according to the investigation. Commissioner Park said, "Given that the informant reportedly provided a very large volume of information, there could be many victims."
Police said they have formed a dedicated task force centered on the violent crimes unit of the Seoul Yangcheon Police Station. Given that the crimes involved the use of Telegram, two officers with relevant investigative experience from the cyber investigation unit were also assigned. Commissioner Park said, "There are ways to catch the clients as well," adding, "They say police can't catch them and that they have prepared countermeasures against investigations, but police have investigative experience and know everything. Even if they commit crimes of this nature, they will all be caught in the end."
Commissioner Park explained that this case bears similarities to the "Baksabang" (Nth Room) case that emerged in 2020. Cho Ju-bin, the ringleader of the Nth Room case, also committed his crimes after receiving illegally obtained personal information from a social service agent (public service worker).