Seoul Police catch alleged crypto scammer during littering stop

A man wanted in connection with a major cryptocurrency fraud case has been arrested in Seoul—after police initially stopped him for littering outside a train station.

Officers approached the man, who is in his 60s, when they saw him discard a cigarette butt. Their suspicions were raised when he pleaded for leniency, refused to show identification, attempted to bribe them, and then tried to flee the scene.

Upon further investigation, police discovered he was the subject of an outstanding warrant tied to a massive crypto scam that allegedly defrauded 1,300 people of 17.7 billion won. He is now facing 10 charges, including fraud, and has been handed over to the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office.

The arrest comes amid growing concerns over crypto-related crimes. According to Chainalysis, cryptocurrency platforms lost $2.2 billion to theft in 2024, with illicit actors receiving more than $40.9 billion worth of digital assets overall.

South Korea has seen its share of crypto scams. Just last year, authorities arrested over 200 suspects linked to a $240 million investment fraud—described as the country’s largest cryptocurrency scam to date.

Earlier in 2025, another bizarre case made headlines when a group dubbed a real-life “Team Rocket” stole $50,000 worth of Pokémon cards and cryptocurrency ATMs, highlighting how crypto-related crimes continue to evolve and attract public attention.