I got scammed 😢

May 25, 2025

Do you often buy or sell secondhand items?

In Korea, secondhand trading is super common—almost like a culture. If you live in the same city, people usually meet in person to sell or buy items, which we call "direct trade" (직거래). But if you live in different cities, it's common to send the money first and receive the item by delivery.

I’ve done so many secondhand trades in my life—too many to count.
And this week… I got scammed for the very first time. LOL.

It’s a little embarrassing, but I thought this story might be interesting for you.
So I’m going to share what happened.

You’ll even get to see the actual messages I exchanged with the scammer—should be fun, right? 😂

The original conversation might be a bit hard to understand, so I rewrote it in an easier version just for you! Now enjoy reading it 😄

광호(me) / 사기꾼(scammer)

👦🏻광호:
지금도 살 수 있어요?
(Is it still available?)

👺사기꾼:
네, 살 수 있어요.
(Yes, it is.)

👦🏻광호:
조금 싸게 팔 수 있어요? 요즘 가격이 75만 원이에요.
(Can you sell it a little cheaper? The price is 750,000 won these days.)

👺사기꾼:
정말요? 그렇게 싸요?
(Really? That cheap?)

👦🏻광호:
네, 저는 자주 봐요.
(Yes, I check often.)
요즘 75만 원을 두 개 봤어요. 하나는 서울에서만 만나서 팔아요.
(I saw two listings for 750,000. One was only for in-person sale in Seoul.)
하나는 아직 있어요. 그런데 벌써 팔린 것 같아요.
(The other one is still listed, but I think it’s sold.)

👺사기꾼:
아, 그렇군요. 가격이 그렇네요 ㅎㅎ
(Oh, I see. That’s the price, haha.)
그럼 75만 원에 드릴게요.
(Then I’ll sell it for 750,000 won.)
다른 사람도 연락했어요. 살 거예요?
(Some other people contacted me too. Will you buy it?)

👦🏻광호:
죄송해요. 답장이 늦었어요. 일하고 있었어요.
(Sorry, I replied late. I was working.)
계좌번호 주세요.
(Please give me your bank account number.)

👺사기꾼:
1234-56-7899, 김ㅇㅇ (한국은행)
(1234-56-7899, Kimㅇㅇ, Hankook Bank)
75만 원만 보내주세요. 그리고 주소도 주세요.
(Please send exactly 750,000 won. And send me your address too.)

👦🏻광호:
네!
(Okay!)
박스랑 다 있어요? 풀박스 맞아요?
(Does it come with the original box and everything? Is it the same as when you bought it?

👺사기꾼:
네~ 박스랑 다 있어요. 빠진 것 있으면 말해주세요.
(Yes, it has everything. If something is missing, let me know.)

👦🏻광호:
방금 돈 보냈어요. 이름은 김광호예요.
(I just sent the money. My name is Kim Kwangho.)

👺사기꾼:
주소 주세요. 이체한 사진도 주세요. 아내 계좌로 받았어요.
(Please give me your address. And send a picture of the payment. I received money in my wife’s account.)

👦🏻광호:
부산광역시 ㅇㅇㅇㅇㅇ 이에요.
(It’s ㅇㅇㅇㅇㅇ, Busan.)

👺사기꾼:
네, 고마워요. 내일 우체국 택배로 보내고 송장 번호 줄게요. 거래 감사합니다.
(Okay, thank you. I’ll ship it tomorrow and send the tracking number. Thanks for the deal.)

👦🏻광호:
네! 오랫동안 사고 싶었는데, 드디어 샀네요. 감사합니다!
(I’ve wanted to buy it for a long time. Finally, I got it. Thank you!)

👺사기꾼:
네~
(You’re welcome~)

다음 날 (Next day)

👦🏻광호 (12:49 PM):
안녕하세요! 오늘 언제 보내요?
(Hello! When will you send it today?)

👺사기꾼:
6시 전에 보낼게요. 그리고 연락드릴게요.
(I’ll send it before 6 PM and message you.)

👦🏻광호:
네, 감사합니다 ㅎㅎ
(Okay, thank you. Haha)

몇 시간 후 (Few hours later)

👦🏻광호 (6:13 PM):
안녕하세요. 보냈어요?
(Hello. Did you send it?)

After that, the scammer blocked my number and their phone has been off ever since… lol.

It was my first time experiencing something like this, so instead of being angry, I just felt shocked and dumbfounded. Some of my friends have gone through similar situations—one actually caught the scammer and got their money back, while another didn’t care about the money and just wanted them punished. As for me, I’ll decide what to do once they catch the scammer… haha.

I went to the police station this morning.
If you’re curious about what happens next, stay tuned!

Paid subscribers can access the actual messages I exchanged with the scammer, the script, and a vocabulary list! Plus, you’ll watch a recorded video of me reading the script myself — so I hope you switch to a paid subscription today! 🚀