Man Sentenced to Four Years for Wedding Scam Before Eloping

A 35-year-old man has been sentenced to four years in prison for defrauding the family of his fiancée out of approximately 675 million won (around $500,000) and fleeing abroad just one day before their wedding. The Gwangju District Court found the man, identified as A, guilty of fraud, forgery, and the use of forged documents.

Between August 2023 and October 2024, A deceived the family of his fiancée, B, by promising to gift a car to his future father-in-law and requesting money for registration fees, claiming that the contract parties needed to deposit the funds directly. He also solicited cash for wedding expenses, asserting that many venues required upfront payments, and misled B's family into believing he could purchase an apartment entry right from a friend who was a construction company representative. Victims included B's future mother-in-law and aunt.

To bolster his claims of wealth, A forged a bank balance certificate. He fled the country the day before the wedding. The court noted that A's actions not only defrauded the family but also caused significant distress among B's relatives. Despite the large sum involved, A has only repaid 9 million won and has made no genuine effort to compensate the victims. The court considered A's previous convictions for similar offenses and ongoing investigations into other fraudulent activities when determining his sentence.