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The police seized and searched a coin mining company and started a full-scale investigation.

Investors were gathered saying that they would give a specific virtual currency if they bought storage space for coin mining, but only over 300 victims have been identified so far, and the damage amounted to 10 billion won.



Reporter Park Chan-beom reports exclusively.



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Police investigators with boxes of confiscated items leave the office.



[(What kind of confiscated items did you bring?) …

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.]



The Financial Crimes Investigation Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency conducted a search and seizure today (26th) of the Seoul office of Coin Mining Company A and 5 mining sites in Busan and Daegu.



Company A has been collecting money from investors since last year saying that it would mine a specific coin instead.



When investors purchase storage space required for coin mining, they are paid weekly in proportion to the amount they purchased.



Mo Lee purchased 300 TB at 360 million won, believing the company promise to pay 23,000 coins, which were traded at around 100,000 won per 100 TB of storage space, over six years.



However, the coin payment was abruptly stopped after 6 months.



[Mr. Lee / Investment Victim: I didn't keep my promise, so I said 'Give me the equipment details' to see how much equipment is installed.

Until the last phone call, they kept saying that we should come to an agreement, but now (contact is cut off)]



More than 300 victims were identified by the police.



The amount of damage is estimated to exceed 10 billion won.



The police booked two people, including the company's representative, on charges of fraud, and started an investigation from the beginning of this year.



In particular, the police suspect that Company A may have signed a contract with investors that exceeds its coin mining capacity.



It is known that some investors are also checked to see if they have given coins that they have 'purchased' from an exchange rather than acquired through 'mining'.



[Kim Tae-hyun / Attorney: If they did not mine and paid for it, but because it was a coin in the market, they bought a coin in the market and paid it, and it would be a perfect scam.



] He denied the allegations.



As soon as the police have finished analyzing the confiscated items, they plan to focus on proving fraud by subpoenaing relevant persons such as representatives of the company.



(Video coverage: Park Hyun-chul, video editing: Lee So-young, VJ: Lee Jun-young)