Crypto scam fugitive caught after littering in Seoul

A man who had been hiding from the law for five years was finally arrested in Seoul, South Korea, but not for the crime he was most wanted for. The police first stopped him because he littered by throwing a cigarette butt near a train station. When the officers tried to arrest him for littering, the man acted suspiciously. He pleaded with them to let him go just this once, refused to show his identification, pretended to take a phone call, and even tried to bribe the police with money.

The officers became more suspicious and decided to question him further. It was then that they discovered he was actually a fugitive wanted for a major cryptocurrency scam. The man, who is in his 60s, had allegedly defrauded 1,300 people out of 17. 7 billion won, which is about $13 million. He has a standing arrest warrant for 10 charges related to the scam, including fraud. After his arrest, he was handed over to the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office, which has been investigating his case for years.

Cryptocurrency crimes have been increasing around the world, causing concern for many governments. According to Chainalysis, a blockchain analytics firm, cryptocurrency platforms lost $2. 2 billion to theft in 2024, and criminals received an estimated $40. 9 billion in digital currency. In South Korea, police arrested more than 200 people last year for allegedly stealing $240 million in what is believed to be the country's largest cryptocurrency investment scam. These incidents show that digital money crimes are becoming more common and are a serious issue for law enforcement and investors everywhere.