South Korean Man Posed As Different People To Scam Best Denki, Singtel & Starhub Successfully

Trust is a sensitive word.

It is there in the interaction between friends, in the way your mother keeps her jewellery unlocked in the drawer and never expects you to take it, in the way you would definitely pay the bill before you leave the restaurant.

Indeed, in connection with trust, money makes the most sensitive relationship between people.

Especially if the person involved is in a privileged position like being the finance, or managing director of a company.

To me, it is indeed stupid to abuse one’s (high-paying) position just to gain some quick bucks by a few dishonest transactions. Even if he gained big bucks, he is sure to lose a big chunk out of his life going to jail.

Time, after all, is money.

The Dishonest Deeds He Did

Enter An Dae Kee, 38, the managing director of Seoul Education Centre.

He laid a very smart plan to cheat companies like Best Denki, Singtel and Starhub, besides others, of their computers and gadgets.

He posed as:

• the Executive Director from EtonHouse International Education Group and cheated Best Denki of 18 Apple computers worth almost $36,000;
• Accounts Manager of Amara Holdings and cheated IT retailer Newstead of two Apple MacBook Air computers and 10 MacBook Pro computers;
• different identities and cheated Starhub and Singtel of 14 Apple iPhones worth about $24,000.
• 30 Samsung Galaxy S9+ mobile phones worth about $41,000 from info-communications technology company Rugged Asia.
• etc.

I could go on, but you get my drift.

Caught

The police received eight reports from various victims of An’s scams between April and May in 2018.

The crucial day occurred on 3 May, when An was arrested in a room at the Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel in Orchard Road.

He had other contrabands such as a foldable knife and a clear glass tube stained with illegal substances on him. Therefore, guiltier than thou.

Obe-quack for being charged more.

In short, he is looking at a jail term of at least four years and three months in jail.
His scams showed the hallmarks of genius, therefore the judge cannot go lenient…even though his defence counsel pleaded leniency under the excuse of An being “deep in debt” to have committed the scams.

If only he had used his brains for better means.

Such as planning a more holistic education for the children, whose parents had placed their trust in him.