Blackmail and extortion

"Report me and it'll be worse for you" is itself part of the blackmail.

What counts as blackmail

• Threatening harm unless you pay
• Demanding money by threatening to expose something
• Demanding money or labour by threatening to report your residence status
• Taking your passport or residence card to force compliance
• Threatening to tell your family

All of these are crimes, and you are under no obligation to comply.

What to do

1. Don't comply. Paying once leads to repetition.
2. Gather evidence — messages, recordings, transfer records, photos.
3. Report to 112. For online blackmail, ecrm.police.go.kr.
4. Tell people around you. Secrecy is what gives blackmail its power.
5. If your passport or residence card has been taken, that is itself a problem. Tell 1345 and 112. See passport-taken.
6. Get free legal advice — 132.

"I'll report your visa status"

• Residence issues and being a crime victim are separate matters.
• You can report blackmail, extortion and unpaid wages as a victim.
• If anxious, consult 1345 or a migrant support organisation first. See ngo-support.
• If an employer withholds wages this way, you can report it to 1350. See unpaid-wages.

Where to go

• 112 police (emergency)
• ecrm.police.go.kr online blackmail
• 132 Korea Legal Aid Corporation
• 1350 Ministry of Employment and Labour (wages, employer threats)
• 1345 Immigration Contact Centre (interpretation, verifying facts)

Questions people ask

I've already paid several times. Stop now and report. The transfer records become evidence in your favour.

They say my family is being threatened. Verify it directly. Scams claiming to hold a family member hostage are common. Tell 112 at once. See scam-types.

My manager is threatening me. Consult 1350 and 1577-0071. Keep recordings and messages. See workplace-harassment.

I'm afraid of retaliation if I report. You can request personal protection measures. Say so when you call 112. See crime-victim-support.

Take care

Complying only postpones the problem — demands grow. While gathering evidence, don't provoke them, and report from somewhere safe. If you feel physically threatened, call 112 immediately.

Related

online-threat · kidnapping · passport-taken · crime-victim-support · legal-aid-overview

Source

Korean National Police Agency www.police.go.kr / As of 2026-08