Man Arrested for 100 Staged Car Accidents to Scam Drivers in Incheon
- An Incheon resident is in custody after police accused him of staging approximately 100 intentional traffic accidents targeting right-turning vehicles to collect about 60 million won in settlement...
- During the two-month span covering July through September, the suspect operated around the Sipjeong Intersection and Yeoulum Intersection in Sipjeong-dong.
- Many motorists involved in the staged incidents assumed they held heavy fault for hitting a pedestrian during a green walk signal.
An Incheon resident is in custody after police accused him of staging approximately 100 intentional traffic accidents targeting right-turning vehicles to collect about 60 million won in settlement money, according to the Incheon Bupyeong Police Station. Investigators from the Bupyeong Police Station traffic investigation team urgently arrested and formally detained the suspect, identified only as A, on habitual extortion and fraud charges. Authorities state that the suspect targeted drivers making right turns at intersections in the Bupyeong-gu neighborhood between July and September.
Staging Right-Turn Collisions in Bupyeong-gu
During the two-month span covering July through September, the suspect operated around the Sipjeong Intersection and Yeoulum Intersection in Sipjeong-dong. Police records indicate that he hid in driver blind spots behind utility poles and street trees while waiting for pedestrian signals to change. As drivers attempted right turns onto crosswalks the moment the pedestrian light activated, the suspect walked directly into the path of the vehicles to cause intentional impacts. Investigators found that he then used pedestrian protection duty violations to pressure drivers into immediate financial settlements.
Modus Operandi and Financial Impact
Many motorists involved in the staged incidents assumed they held heavy fault for hitting a pedestrian during a green walk signal. Bupyeong police confirmed that the majority of victims transferred cash directly through bank accounts to settle the claims. Police tracking indicates the total fraud and extortion proceeds reached approximately 60 million won across roughly 100 suspected occurrences. Investigators have verified about 30 individual victims through bank account analysis so far, while probing account records to identify an estimated 70 additional victims. Police determined that the suspect carried out the scheme to fund gambling.
Police Investigation and Public Appeal
A representative for the Bupyeong Police Station traffic investigation team urged motorists who transferred settlement money following right-turn pedestrian collisions in Sipjeong-dong between July and September to come forward, noting they may be victims of fraud and extortion. Law enforcement officials emphasized that police will respond strictly to similar criminal acts masquerading as traffic accidents.