Man arrested on wastewater purification product fraud charges

At a cafe in northern Seoul in April 2011, a businessman surnamed Lee introduced a business item to a housewife he met at a dance hall. He recommended her to sell wastewater purification product imported from the U.S.

Even though Lee explained about the product`s performance while mixing white powder into red-color water, this was an ear-catching story to the woman. Since the man had enticed her by taking her to premium restaurants and with flowers, the woman had no reason to speculate. The woman gave him 52 million won (48,233 U.S. dollars) saying she will buy 20 boxes of them. She gave him the money even before receiving the product.

All Lee said was lying, however. He was neither a businessman nor had a real wastewater purification product. He just put iodine solution into water and mixed with bleaching agent to lead to a chemical reaction in front of victims. The import agents and factory head who were introduced were also the man`s fellow con men. For two years from August 2009, they cheated against 60 women in their 50s and 60s whom they met in dancing clubs and stole 1.81 billion won (1.7 million dollars).

The con artists were arrested in September 2011 except Lee, who went around hiding for more than another three years. To avoid being traced, Lee used mobile phones under a friend`s name, signed up for a place to live and went to hospitals using his elder brother`s name. But by tracking city gas service records based on his brother`s name and the CCTVs, police arrested Lee hiding in Gwangju City on October 27. Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said Tuesday that it detained him on fraud charges.