What should a pregnant woman who was scammed by a monthly rent do? 'Building owner' Seo Jang-hoon offers harsh but necessary advice [Ask the Buddha] [★Night TView]

*This content was translated by AI.

'Ask the Buddha' host Seo Jang-hoon expressed sympathy for a couple who fell victim to a monthly rent scam.

In the the 3rd broadcast of KBS JOY's 'What Would You Ask?', a pregnant woman married to a Mongolian husband shared her story: "I'm due to give birth soon, but I've been scammed in my monthly rent agreement. My security deposit was not returned, and I've become an illegal occupant. I recently learned that I signed a contract with the wrong person. I had planned to move after giving birth, but I don't know what to do now."

She continued, "We got married in 2024. We registered our marriage in Ulsan, and I wanted to leave Korea. Encouraged by my husband, we decided to start a business and moved to Seoul. We found a monthly rental house near the airport. Since we planned to leave at any time, we opted for a monthly lease agreement with a 30 million won security deposit. The two-year contract expires in September this year."

One day, her husband discovered a notice posted inside the building. She explained, "Every unit had posters from victims. There were more than ten victims in our building alone. Even after winning lawsuits, they couldn't recover their deposits. When we tried to freeze their bank accounts, they claimed there was only 500 won left. It was a scam. Another victim moved out without getting their deposit back. They said it wasn't possible to register lease rights. What I learned later is that the actual owner was a trust company."

Upon hearing her statement that she must vacate whenever the trust company demands, Seo Jang-hoon raised his voice: "Let's say there are vacant units in my building. If someone moves into the first, second, or third floor, I would ask questions. But is it right for a trust company to stay silent for two years and then suddenly demand eviction now?"

He added, "Even just watching the news, real estate scams are rampant. The most basic step is checking the official property registry, yet in this situation, people sign contracts without verification, trusting only what the real estate agent says. If the trust company doesn't request eviction, you could hold out without paying rent and leave once your deposit is gone. But unfortunately, that's not feasible here. Looking at life as a whole, this can serve as a lesson: always verify things thoroughly."

Especially, Seo Jang-hoon emphasized, "What matters most right now is the baby. Thirty million won is a large sum, but don't get too upset. Focus on eating well and taking care of your body—that's what truly matters. Concentrate all your attention on your child," as he comforted the expectant mother who is two months away from delivery.

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*This content was translated by AI.