BEYOND THE KDRAMA - Blood money scams against foreigners in S Korea

 Sidenote - 

My foreigner friend was contacted last night and is being extorted for blood money from a local resident regarding a harmless bike accident. 

1 Domestic "Blood Money" Extortion (Settlement Scams)

Against foreigners living within South Korea, scammers and opportunistic individuals exploit the legal concept of habuigeum—money paid to a victim to avoid criminal prosecution. 

• The "Injury" Scam: A common tactic involves an individual (often elderly) intentionally causing a minor collision or altercation with a foreigner (e.g., being "bumped" in a station or a minor scooter accident) and then "acting" severely injured. 
• The Threat: The "victim" threatens to call the police, knowing that for many visa holders, a criminal record—even for a minor scuffle—can lead to deportation. 
• The Payoff: They demand immediate "blood money" (settlement) to drop the charges. Without a formal written agreement (habuiseo), scammers may still report the incident later to demand more money. 

2 "Black Dollar" Scams Against Foreigners 

A specific type of high-stakes fraud recently identified by authorities (such as the Jakarta Metro Jaya Police) involves "Black Money" or "Black Dollars": 

• The Deception: Scammers convince victims they have a large stash of currency that has been dyed black to avoid customs. They demonstrate "cleaning" the bills with a special expensive chemical. 
• The Fraud: Victims are persuaded to invest large sums of real money to buy the "cleaning liquid," only to find the "black dollars" are just worthless construction paper. 

How to Protect Yourself

• Use Official Channels: For any incident involving injury or potential legal trouble, insist on going to a police box (baechulso) rather than paying cash on the spot.
• Verify Job Offers: Be skeptical of overseas jobs that offer high pay for low skills, especially if they involve travel to Southeast Asian border regions.
• Report Fraud: You can check if a bank account or phone number has been reported for fraud using the CyberCop app provided by the National Police Agency