The number of victims eligible for assistance under the special law for rental fraud, recognized by the government, has exceeded 27,000. It is estimated that the number has increased by more than 1,000 each month since December of last year.
According to data submitted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport on the 10th by Park Yong-gap, a member of the National Assembly from the Democratic Party, the total number of victims stands at 27,372 as of the 19th of last month.
This figure represents an increase of about 3,000 compared to the number of victims reported by the Ministry at the end of last year. According to a survey on the damage from rental fraud reported by the Ministry on December 23 last year to the National Assembly’s land and transportation committee, the number of victims meeting the criteria for recognition under the special law was 24,668 as of November 30 last year. Comparing the current number of victims with the baseline from the end of November last year, it shows an increase of about 1,000 each month.
In terms of regional victim distribution, Seoul has the highest number at 7,399. This is followed by Gyeonggi Province (5,902), Daejeon (2,276), Incheon (3,189), and Busan (2,962).
By age group, victims are primarily in their 20s and 30s. The largest group consists of those in their 30s, with 13,350 victims (48.7%). This is followed by those in their 20s (7,082 victims, 25.8%) and those in their 40s (3,873 victims, 14.1%).
As of last month, 41.87% of the victims fell into the category of those with damages exceeding 100 million won but not exceeding 200 million won. Those with damages under 100 million won accounted for 42%. By type of damage, multi-family housing comprised 30.5%, officetels 20.9%, and multi-household dwellings 17.9%, indicating a significant risk of rental fraud outside of apartments.