South Korean police say they’re attempting to find a suspect accused of stealing 240 million gained ($167,000) in money throughout a USDT OTC (over-the-counter) commerce.
Per the South Korean information company Yonhap, the incident allegedly came about on February 21 within the metropolis of Incheon.
USDT OTC ‘Theft’ – Police Trying to find Suspect
Talking on February 23, officers at Incheon Seobu (West) Police Station stated that the “thief” organized to satisfy the “sufferer” on the primary flooring of a industrial constructing in West Incheon’s Seoknam District.

The unnamed “sufferer” was described as a person in his “thirties.” Police stated the “sufferer” responded to a “publish in a KakaoTalk open chatroom” from a vendor providing to “promote USDT cash” at a low worth.
Officers stated the “sufferer” and the suspect exchanged chat messages through the app and ultimately organized to satisfy.
Police Not sure of Suspect’s Nationality
The suspect allegedly instructed the “sufferer” that they’d switch the cash to the previous’s pockets after which take the money as fee. Nonetheless, the “sufferer” defined:
“I put the money on the ground in a paper bag to finish transaction. However whereas I used to be wanting away for a second, [the suspect] ran away with it.”
The police stated that they believed that the suspect got here from a “Central Asian nation,” however admitted they didn’t know precisely what the suspect’s “nationality” was.
A police official instructed the media that investigators had been attempting to find the suspect for alleged “theft”-related offenses.
Nonetheless, they added that they’d not determine on “particular expenses” till they’d “arrested” the suspect.
On February 23, Cryptonews.com discovered a number of posts in crypto-related KakaoTalk open chatrooms from people saying they needed to swap cash for money as a part of in-person offers.
South Korea has scaled down its plans for nuclear energy after the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol, an atomic power advocate, gave the opposition occasion higher affect over the nation’s long-term power coverage. https://t.co/qacOeymrcK
— Bloomberg (@enterprise) February 21, 2025
USDT – Widespread in and Round Seoul?
USDT-related OTC thefts seem like on the rise in South Korea, significantly in Incheon and close by areas.
In Might final yr, 4 males pleaded responsible to stealing some $735,000 from a USDT OTC purchaser in an analogous case.
Cops have alleged that “violent gangs” which can be “energetic in Incheon” are more and more making an attempt to focus on unsuspecting native crypto merchants.
The recognition of crypto is rising quick in Incheon and different cities near the South Korean capital, Seoul.
Kim (first identify withheld), a resident of Ilsan in Gyeonggi Province, instructed Cryptonews.com:
“Nearly everybody I do know both has an curiosity in crypto or is actively buying and selling cash now. There’s a variety of discuss stablecoins these days, particularly USDT.”
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