A crypto scammer arrested in Seoul ended his five years on the run in the most unexpected way—after police stopped him for littering.
Seoul police said the suspect, a man in his 60s, threw a cigarette butt near a train station on Friday. Officers initially planned to fine him for littering, but they grew suspicious when he begged for release, saying, “just this once.” He then tried to flee, refused to show identification, faked a phone call, and even attempted to bribe the officers.
Further questioning revealed his real identity. Authorities confirmed he had a standing arrest warrant for 10 charges linked to a cryptocurrency scam. Investigators allege he defrauded 1,300 people of 17.7 billion won ($13m; £9.5m). Police handed him over to the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office, which has been leading the case.
The arrest highlights South Korea’s ongoing battle with rising crypto-related crimes. According to blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis, cryptocurrency platforms lost $2.2 billion to theft in 2024 alone. Illicit actors received an estimated $40.9 billion in digital currency worldwide during the same year.
South Korea has already faced several major scandals. Last year, police arrested more than 200 suspects linked to a $240 million crypto investment scam—the country’s largest fraud case to date.
This latest arrest shows how even small acts can lead to major breakthroughs. What began as a routine littering case exposed one of South Korea’s biggest alleged cryptocurrency fraudsters.
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