Cab driver jailed for extorting drunk passengers with ‘fake vomit’ scheme

A taxi driver in South Korea has been sentenced to four years and six months in prison for using an elaborate “fake vomit” scheme to extort 160 intoxicated passengers.

The man, 68, who had previously served a one-year sentence for similar offences, was convicted by the Seoul Northern District Court of extortion, attempted extortion and false accusation, local media reported on Friday.

He extorted more than 150m won (£78,532) from passengers who had fallen asleep in his car, court documents showed.

The driver’s scheme unravelled in April this year when he allegedly tried to carry out the scam on an undercover police officer posing as a passenger in Namyangju area of Gyeonggi province. The officer recorded the act, leading to the man’s arrest.

According to the court documents, the driver targeted passengers who had fallen asleep in his taxi.

He would concoct a mixture of rice porridge, soda and coffee to mimic vomit, and then smear it on himself, the passenger and the taxi seats to create the appearance that the rider had been sick.

The driver would wake up the victim, accuse them of ruining his vehicle, and demand a large cleaning fee.

In some cases, he would even scatter broken glass on the floor of the car to claim that the passenger had assaulted him, warning them that fines for attacking a driver could reach 10won (£5,235).

The standard compensation fee for vomiting in a taxi in Seoul is 150,000 won (£78), according to the Seoul Taxi Association, to cover cleaning costs and the driver’s lost working hours.