A 16.4 billion won rental fraud suspect, who fled to the Philippines, has been repatriated to Korea after a year.

A woman in her 30s, who committed a rental fraud of 16.4 billion won against 83 tenants in Suwon, Gyeonggi-do, fled to the Philippines and was apprehended and repatriated to Korea after about a year.

The Suwon Southern Police Agency announced on the 8th that they had arrested the woman, referred to as A, on the 6th for fraud.

A is suspected of swindling approximately 16.4 billion won in rental deposits from 83 tenants between September 2021 and April 2023. This case is part of a large-scale rental fraud incident that occurred in the Suwon area, resulting in numerous victims.

Organized fraud schemes involving 11 real estate properties with an accomplice.

According to the investigation, A committed the crime in collaboration with an accomplice, B, by owning or entrusting titles for a total of 11 properties, including multi-family homes and villas in Suwon’s Paldal-gu and Gwonseon-gu.

Their modus operandi involved purchasing land, taking out loans to construct buildings, and then signing lease agreements to collect the rental deposits.

Since December 2023, the police have received a series of complaints from victims who have not been able to recover their rental deposits from A and others.

As complaints piled up at various police stations in Suwon, the police established a dedicated investigation team at the Suwon Southern Police Agency to conduct a full-scale investigation.

Captured in the Philippines through an Interpol red notice.

The police arrested and referred B to prosecution in June of last year; however, A had already fled overseas before complaints were filed with the police.

Thus, the police tracked A through an Interpol red notice and successfully apprehended her in the Philippines in February, more than a year after her departure.

The police repatriated A to Korea earlier this month, and on the 6th, they obtained an arrest warrant from the court for A.

The police have determined that A intentionally deceived the tenants into signing lease contracts despite being aware that she could not return their rental deposits.

Currently, the police plan to conduct additional investigations on the arrested A before forwarding the case to the prosecution.

Image source: Supplementary photo for understanding the article / gettyimagesbank