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. 

UPDATE- My friend's Korean friends refused to assist her with this situation or to go to the police office to assist her. Last night her family met with the parents of the child at the police headquarters in our town. The police did not provide a translator so neither family could fully understand each other. The other family did NOT show any medical records confirming the price of the medical bills. My friend and her husband ended up signing paperwork stating they will pay equivalent $500 USD per month for six months with a total of $3,000 as payment.

The two young children were actively running across the street while neither parent held their hand. The small young girl, age 5, ran into the bicycle due to lack of parental supervision. But my friend's family had to pay $3,000 because no Korean agreed to help them negotiate their needs. 

If you decide to come and live in South Korea, know that you will NEVER be protected in this country.

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