Hackers steal data, extort $350,000 from massage parlor clients

Police have arrested members of a hacking and phishing crime ring that stole data from massage parlor owner phones in order to scam their clients out of millions of won by threatening to release nonexistent “massage videos” if they didn't pay.

A cyber investigator from the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency explains the execution procedure of an arrest and search warrant to a member of a hacking and phishing ring in front of a laptop used in the crimes.

Police have arrested members of a hacking and phishing crime ring that stole data from massage parlor owner phones in order to scam their clients out of millions of won by threatening to release nonexistent “massage videos” if they didn't pay.

The Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency said Monday that it referred four suspects — a hacker in his 30s and three accomplices in their 20s responsible for gathering and exploiting information — to the prosecution.

The hacker and the other suspects, who were local acquaintances, are accused of forming an organized crime ring. Police applied Article 114 of the Criminal Act, which covers the organization of criminal groups.

According to police, the hacker began collecting contact information from massage parlors in Seoul, Gyeonggi and Daegu in January 2022, tricking nine owners into installing a malicious app by claiming it was for business purposes. The app secretly stole client data including contacts, messages and call records.

The accomplices allegedly set up shop in an officetel in Nam District, Busan, and used the stolen data to blackmail 62 victims, extorting around 500 million won ($351,000) in total.

Although no videos actually existed, the suspects told victims, “We have footage of you visiting a massage parlor,” and threatened to send it to “family, friends and your wife” unless they paid up. Each victim was extorted for between 1.5 million and 47 million won, with payments funneled through accounts opened under borrowed names.

Police said they began investigating the ring after discovering the group’s crime nest during a separate case in July 2022. The suspects had prepared thoroughly, setting up laptops and burner phones at their office and drafting detailed scripts for their blackmail calls, which would typically include threats like “We installed a camera in the massage room and recorded your session — we’ll send it to your contacts if you don’t pay.”

A cyber investigator, right, from the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency reads the Miranda warning and executes an arrest and search warrant on a member of a hacking and phishing ring. [GYEONGGI NAMBU PROVINCIAL POLICE AGENCY]

Investigators first arrested one of the blackmailers in August 2023, then tracked down other members of the hacking ring. The hacker, however, had already been detained by the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency for a separate cybercrime case and was referred to prosecutors without detention by Gyeonggi Nambu police.

Another member who fled and continued the scheme alone was arrested for separately extorting 36 million won from two victims in October 2024 and March 2025. The last suspect was handed over to prosecutors on Oct. 23 this year, nearly two years after the first arrest.

Police also apprehended 10 accomplices — five who helped the fugitives hide by providing them with phones, driver’s licenses, vehicles and lodging, and another five who laundered the extorted money. A total of 15 people were involved in the case.

A police official warned, “Apps recommended through unofficial channels rather than official app stores or websites can lead to serious data leaks,” adding, “If you receive suspicious calls demanding money, block them immediately and do not comply to prevent becoming a victim.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. BY SON SUNG-BAE [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]