A suspect was found to have pretended to be a victim of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami to obtain donations through social networking services. The 59-year-old suspect in Gyeonggi Province allegedly received a total of 26.5 million won ($20,600) from 16 people by posting on social media that he was a victim of the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami that devastated the Tohoku region of Japan. The suspect is said to have created a false story that his mother had died in the disaster and continued to obtain money from people by deceiving them into thinking he was in need of money to cover funeral expenses and find his missing mother. 경기남부경찰청은 26일 이런 사기 혐의를 받는 A 씨(59)를 구속했다고 밝혔다. A 씨는 2011년 3월 일본 도호쿠 지역에서 발생한 지진해일(쓰나미)로 숨진 어머니가 있다며 사회관계망서비스(SNS)에 글을 올려 16명으로부터 2억6500만 원 상당을 받아 챙긴 혐의를 받고 있다. 경찰에 따르면 A 씨는 피해자들에게 마치 본인 계좌로 기부금을 입금하면 일본에 있는 어머니 장례 비용과 실종 상태인 어머니를 찾는 데 사용하겠다며 돈을 가로챈 것으로 조사됐다. A 씨는 범행 사실을 전면 부인했지만 경찰이 압수한 그의 휴대전화에서 범행 관련 증거가 다수 발견됐다. 경찰은 A 씨가 2011년 3월 일본에서 발생한 지진해일 당시 실제로 일본에 체류한 기록은 확인하지 못했다고 밝혔다. 경찰 관계자는 "타인에게 피해를 주거나 선량한 풍속을 해치는 등 사회에 부정적 영향을 미치는 신종 사기 범죄에 엄정 대응할 방침"이라고 말했다.

On July 28th, a 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck Gumi-moto, Japan. According to local reports, a massive explosion was caused by a gas leak at a large shopping mall, "Ieon Mall," in Gumi-moto City, resulting in multiple casualties. However, recently, some individuals have been falsely claiming to be victims of the earthquake and spreading misleading information on social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter) in order to collect donations.

The Japan Yomiuri Newspaper reported on the 9th that fake posts and AI-generated images showing damage to Ieon Mall were being circulated on X. One such post claimed, "Please send me a direct message (DM) if you know a family member who worked at Ieon Mall in Gumi-moto," which received over 14,000 views. Another post stated, "I am told that my mother has passed away."

This prompted people to send electronic donations in support of the family. However, it has since been revealed that no such employee existed at Ieon Mall. Those who sent money were later informed that the incident was a hoax and the person who posted the false information was seeking attention and validation. In the aftermath of the earthquake, social media has seen more instances of people posting QR codes to collect donations from victims.

Authorities and fire services have also warned against false rescue requests and the spread of AI-generated images of buildings collapsing. Moreover, there have been reports of 'profit-driven fake news' being used to instill fear during disasters. In Gumi-moto, a major earthquake occurred 10 years ago, and false news about a monkey escaping from a zoo had caused panic among residents.

However, this time, it appears that 'profit-driven fake news' is being used to exploit the situation. Professor Gimmura Leo Yohgo from Gakugei University of Education in Japan warned, "Considering the heatwave currently affecting the Gumi-moto disaster area, fake news about providing water and other necessities for heatstroke is also expected." He advised, "When encountering information with uncertain facts, please do not spread it."