Workbear재주넘는곰
대법원 2022도1862

Obstruction of Business and Fraud by Use of Computers (Recognized Charge: Fraud) [Whether an act of inputting information into a computer or other information processing device constitutes 'deceptive scheme' (위계) for obstruction of business by deceptive means and 'deceptive act' (기망행위) for fraud, even when the act is not directly aimed at a person]업무방해·컴퓨터등사용사기(인정된죄명:사기)[컴퓨터 등 정보처리장치에 정보를 입력하는 등의 행위가 사람을 직접적인 대상으로 한 것이 아니라고 하더라도 위계에 의한 업무방해죄의 위계 및 사기죄의 성립 요건인 기망행위에 해당하는 경우]

Decided2026. 01. 29. Court대법원Appeal dismissed; the lower court's guilty verdict against the defendants was upheld.
AI-generated English translation (summary, key points, decision summary and full text) for reference only — not an official translation and without legal effect. The Korean original below is authoritative.
AI Easy read — AI summary of this decision
AI-generated summary for reference only — the Korean original below is authoritative.

This case involved operators of massage parlors who repeatedly staged fake cash withdrawal transactions at ATMs solely to earn transaction fees, causing financial losses to the bank. The Supreme Court held that even indirect deception carried out through a computer system can constitute both obstruction of business by deceptive means (위계에 의한 업무방해죄) and fraud (사기죄), so long as the scheme ultimately causes a human being to act under a mistaken belief. This ruling establishes an important legal principle for new types of crimes committed through digital systems in the modern era.

Key takeaways
  • CaseMassage parlor operators repeatedly conducted fake cash withdrawal transactions at ATMs solely to collect transaction fees, causing financial losses to the bank.
  • OutcomeThe Supreme Court ruled that even indirect acts carried out through a computer system can constitute obstruction of business by deceptive means and fraud, as long as they ultimately deceive a person.
  • LessonEven transactions conducted through digital devices can lead to criminal liability if they involve deceiving another party through false information, so extra caution is required when using automated systems.
Issues
  • Whether an indirect act carried out through a computer system can constitute 'deceptive scheme' (위계) for the crime of obstruction of business by deceptive means
  • Whether an act using an information processing device can constitute a 'deceptive act' (기망행위) required for the crime of fraud
Key reasoning

The Supreme Court reasoned that even when a person inputs false information into a computer or other information processing device rather than directly confronting another person, this can still amount to a 'deceptive scheme' (위계) or 'deceptive act' (기망행위) under criminal law. What matters is not whether the act is directly aimed at a human being, but whether it ultimately causes a person—such as an employee responsible for business operations or a person who disposes of property—to act under a mistaken belief as a result of the false information. Because the ATM transactions were designed to trick the bank's system into processing fraudulent withdrawals, and this ultimately misled bank personnel and led to an unwarranted disposition of the bank's assets, the elements of both offenses were satisfied. The Court emphasized that the final intervention of a human being who is deceived, and the resulting mistaken belief, are the core criteria for determining criminal liability in cases involving computer-mediated deception.

Summary of Decision (English, AI translation)

[1] Deceptive means (危計), which is a requirement for the establishment of the crime of interference with business by deceptive means, refers to an actor causing the other party to fall into misapprehension, mistake, or unawareness in order to achieve the purpose of the act, and using this. The establishment of the crime of interference with business does not require that the result of interference with business actually occur; it is sufficient that a risk of causing such a result arises, and the crime of interference with business is established even where it is not the performance of business itself but the appropriateness or fairness of business that is obstructed. Furthermore, where an act such as inputting information into a computer or other information processing device is carried out for the purpose of causing misapprehension, mistake, or unawareness on the part of the person in charge of the business based on the information so input, it cannot be said that such act does not constitute deceptive means merely because it was not directed directly at the person in charge of the business.

[2] Deceptive conduct (欺罔行爲), which is a requirement for the establishment of the crime of fraud, refers to causing a person to fall into a mistake. Accordingly, where the affairs concerning a change in property are processed mechanically and automatically by a computer or the like without human intervention, such that no deceptive conduct toward a person is involved, the crime of fraud cannot be punished. However, even if an act such as inputting information into a computer or other information processing device is not directed directly at the person who performs the disposition of property, if such act causes the person who performs the disposition of property to fall into a mistake through the result of the information processing brought about by that act, this constitutes deceptive conduct toward a person, unlike a case where the matter is processed merely mechanically and automatically by a computer or the like without human intervention.

Full text (English, AI translation) 6,860 chars

[Defendants] Defendant 1 and 2 others
[Appellants] Defendants
[Defense Counsel] Attorney Park Sung-min
[Judgment Below] Uijeongbu District Court Decision 2020No2941, decided January 18, 2022

[Order]

All appeals are dismissed.

[Reasoning]

The grounds of appeal are examined.

1. Summary of the Charges
The victim, Korea ○○○ Bank Co., Ltd. (whose trade name was changed to ○○○ Bank Co., Ltd. on June 1, 2020; hereinafter referred to as the "victim company"), is a company engaged in banking business, and △△△ Plus Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as the "non-party company") is a company that provides so-called VAN (Value Added Network) services, which connect automated teller machines (ATMs) and financial institutions via the internet network to transmit financial transaction information.
On or around September 29, 2017, the non-party company entered into a business outsourcing contract with the victim company under which the non-party company would provide VAN services enabling customers of the victim company to conduct banking transactions such as withdrawal of deposits, account transfers, and balance inquiries using ATM machines installed by the non-party company, in exchange for a fee of 1,020 won per cash withdrawal and 850 won per account transfer to be paid by the victim company for each transaction by a customer of the victim company; and from around January 1, 2018, the non-party company provided VAN services to the victim company in accordance with the said contract.
In the case of ordinary commercial banks, where a customer withdraws deposits or conducts account transfer transactions through an ATM machine using VAN services, the customer bears the fee that the bank is to pay to the non-party company. However, for the purpose of attracting new customers, the victim company waived all fees for customers who had been issued the victim company's check cards even when they conducted banking transactions such as deposit withdrawals through ATM machines, and instead agreed, as stated in the above agreement, to pay the said fees to the non-party company, which provided VAN services to the victim company.
The defendants each operated a massage parlor or massage business, and were either franchise owners who had entered into an ATM usage contract with the above company, or their cohabitants, and were members of the victim company.
From around early May 2018 to mid-June 2018, the defendants, either alone or together with other defendants, for the sole purpose of obtaining fee-related profits rather than engaging in genuine banking transactions, inserted check cards issued by the victim company in the names of the defendants, etc. into ATM machines installed at the above establishments and entered passwords, etc., thereby conducting approximately 8,000 to 10,000 cash withdrawal transactions, causing the victim company to pay the non-party company fees amounting to approximately 8 million to 10 million won corresponding to the said deposit withdrawals.
Thereby, the defendants, in conspiracy with each other, interfered with the victim company's deposit and withdrawal settlement business by deceptive means (wigye), and at the same time caused an unspecified employee of the victim company, who believed that the said banking transactions were genuine, to pay the non-party company money in the name of the said fees for the deposit withdrawals, thereby causing the non-party company to acquire pecuniary benefits equivalent to each of the said amounts.

2. Relevant Legal Principles
A. Wigye (deceptive scheme), which is a requirement for the establishment of the crime of interference with business by deceptive means, refers to an act by which the actor, in order to achieve the purpose of the act, causes the other party to have a misapprehension, mistake, or lack of awareness, and takes advantage thereof. The establishment of the crime of interference with business does not require that the result of interference with business actually occur; it is sufficient that there arises a risk of causing such a result, and the crime of interference with business is established even where not the performance of the business itself, but the propriety or fairness of the business, is obstructed. Furthermore, where an act such as inputting information into a computer or other information processing device is committed for the purpose of causing a misapprehension, mistake, or lack of awareness on the part of a person in charge of business based on the information so input, such act cannot be said not to constitute wigye merely because it was not directly aimed at the person in charge of the business (see, e.g., Supreme Court Decision 2013Do4178, decided November 28, 2013).

B. Deceptive conduct (gimang haengwi), which is a requirement for the establishment of the crime of fraud, refers to an act of causing a person to fall into a mistake (see, e.g., Supreme Court Decision 83Do2995, decided February 14, 1984; Supreme Court en banc Decision 2016Do13362, decided February 16, 2017; Supreme Court Decision 2017Do8449, decided September 26, 2017). Accordingly, where matters concerning the transfer of property are processed mechanically and automatically by a computer, etc., without human intervention, and thus do not involve deceptive conduct directed at a person, such conduct cannot be punished as fraud (see Supreme Court Decision 2019Do14960, decided February 27, 2020). However, even if an act such as inputting information into a computer or other information processing device was not directly aimed at the person who performs the act of disposing of property, if such act caused the person who performs the act of disposing of property to fall into a mistake through the result of the information processing brought about by such act, this constitutes deceptive conduct directed at a person, unlike a case in which the matter is merely processed mechanically and automatically by a computer, etc., without human intervention.

3. Determination
The court below found all of the charges in this case guilty for the reasons stated in its judgment. Examining the reasoning of the judgment below in light of the legal principles set out above and the evidence lawfully adopted, the determination of the court below is justified, and there is no error therein in violation of the principles of logic and experience that would exceed the limits of free evaluation of evidence, or in misapprehension of the legal principles concerning wigye in the crime of interference with business or deceptive conduct in the crime of fraud, etc.

4. Conclusion
All appeals are dismissed, and it is so decided by the unanimous opinion of the Justices participating in the judgment, as set forth in the Order.

Justices Seo Kyung-hwan (Presiding Justice), Noh Tae-ak, Shin Sook-hee, Ma Yong-ju (Justice in charge)

【판결요지】

[1] 위계에 의한 업무방해죄의 성립 요건인 위계는 행위자가 행위목적을 달성하기 위하여 상대방에게 오인, 착각 또는 부지를 일으키게 하여 이를 이용하는 것을 말한다. 업무방해죄의 성립에는 업무방해의 결과가 실제로 발생함을 요하지 않고, 업무방해의 결과를 초래할 위험이 발생하면 족하며, 업무수행 자체가 아니라 업무의 적정성 또는 공정성이 방해된 경우에도 업무방해죄가 성립한다. 나아가 컴퓨터 등 정보처리장치에 정보를 입력하는 등의 행위가 그 입력된 정보 등을 바탕으로 업무를 담당하는 사람의 오인, 착각 또는 부지를 일으킬 목적으로 행해진 경우에는 그 행위가 업무를 담당하는 사람을 직접적인 대상으로 이루어진 것이 아니라고 하여 위계가 아니라고 할 수는 없다.

[2] 사기죄의 성립 요건인 기망행위는 사람으로 하여금 착오를 일으키게 하는 것을 말한다. 그리하여 재산변동에 관한 사무가 사람의 개입 없이 컴퓨터 등에 의하여 기계적·자동적으로 처리되는 경우 등과 같이 사람에 대한 기망행위를 수반하지 않는다면 사기죄로 처벌할 수 없다. 그러나 비록 컴퓨터 등 정보처리장치에 정보를 입력하는 등의 행위가 재산적 처분행위를 하는 사람을 직접적인 대상으로 한 것이 아니라고 하더라도, 그러한 행위로 인한 정보처리의 결과를 통하여 재산적 처분행위를 하는 사람을 착오에 빠뜨렸다면, 단지 사람의 개입 없이 컴퓨터 등에 의하여 기계적·자동적으로 처리되는 경우와는 달리 사람에 대한 기망행위에 해당한다.

【참조조문】

[1] 형법 제314조 제1항

[2] 형법 제347조

【참조판례】

[1] 대법원 2013. 11. 28. 선고 2013도4178 판결 / [2] 대법원 1984. 2. 14. 선고 83도2995 판결(공1984, 475), 대법원 2017. 2. 16. 선고 2016도13362 전원합의체 판결(공2017상, 673), 대법원 2017. 9. 26. 선고 2017도8449 판결(공2017하, 2147), 대법원 2020. 2. 27. 선고 2019도14960 판결

【주문】·【이유】 전문 2,608자 · 펼쳐 보기

【피 고 인】 피고인 1 외 2인

【상 고 인】 피고인들

【변 호 인】 변호사 박성민

【원심판결】 의정부지법 2022. 1. 18. 선고 2020노2941 판결

【주 문】

상고를 모두 기각한다.

【이 유】 상고이유를 판단한다.

1. 공소사실의 요지

피해자 한국○○○은행 주식회사(2020. 6. 1. 주식회사 ○○○뱅크로 상호가 변경되었다. 이하 ‘피해자 회사’라 한다)는 은행업을 하는 회사이고, 주식회사 △△△플러스(이하 ‘소외 회사’라 한다)는 현금자동화기기와 금융기관을 인터넷망으로 연결하여 금융거래정보를 전달하는 이른바 VAN(Value Added Network) 서비스를 제공하는 회사이다.

소외 회사는 2017. 9. 29.경 피해자 회사와 피해자 회사 고객이 소외 회사에서 설치한 ATM 기기를 이용하여 예금인출, 계좌이체, 잔액조회 등의 은행거래를 할 수 있도록 VAN 서비스를 제공하고, 그 대가로 피해자 회사 측으로부터 피해자 회사 고객의 현금 출금 1회당 1,020원, 계좌이체는 1회당 850원의 수수료를 지급받기로 하는 업무위탁 계약을 체결한 다음, 2018. 1. 1.경부터 위 계약에 따라 피해자 회사 측에 VAN 서비스를 제공하였다.

일반 시중은행의 경우 고객이 VAN 서비스를 이용하여 ATM 기기를 통해 예금을 인출하거나 계좌이체 업무를 할 경우 은행에서 소외 회사 측에 지급할 수수료를 고객이 부담한다. 그러나 피해자 회사는 신규 고객을 유치하려는 목적으로 피해자 회사의 체크카드를 발급받은 고객들이 ATM 기기를 이용하여 예금인출 등 은행거래를 하더라도 일체의 수수료를 면제하는 대신, 위 약정 기재와 같이 피해자 회사에서 VAN 서비스를 제공한 소외 회사 측에 그 수수료를 지급하기로 약정하였다.

피고인들은 안마시술소 내지 마사지업소를 각 운영하면서 위 업체와 자동화기기 이용계약을 체결한 가맹점주이거나 그 동거인으로 피해자 회사의 회원이다.

피고인들은 단독 또는 다른 피고인 등과 함께 2018. 5. 초경부터 6월 중순경까지 위 안마시술소 등에서 정상적인 은행거래가 아닌 단지 수수료 이익만을 취득할 목적으로 피해자 회사에서 발행한 피고인 등 명의 체크카드를 위 업소에 설치한 ATM 기기에 넣어 비밀번호 등을 입력하여 총 8,000여 회에서 10,000여 회의 현금 인출행위를 하여 피해자 회사로 하여금 소외 회사에 위 예금 인출에 따른 800여 만 원에서 1,000여 만 원 상당의 수수료를 지급하게 하였다.

이로써 이들은 각 공모하여 위계로써 피해자 회사의 입출금 정산업무를 방해함과 동시에, 위 은행거래가 진정한 거래라고 믿은 성명불상의 피해자 회사 직원으로 하여금 소외 회사에 예금 출금에 따른 위 각 수수료 명목의 돈을 지급하게 하고, 소외 회사로 하여금 각 같은 금액 상당의 재산상 이익을 취득하게 하였다.

2. 관련 법리

가. 위계에 의한 업무방해죄의 성립 요건인 위계는 행위자가 행위목적을 달성하기 위하여 상대방에게 오인, 착각 또는 부지를 일으키게 하여 이를 이용하는 것을 말한다. 업무방해죄의 성립에는 업무방해의 결과가 실제로 발생함을 요하지 않고, 업무방해의 결과를 초래할 위험이 발생하면 족하며, 업무수행 자체가 아니라 업무의 적정성 또는 공정성이 방해된 경우에도 업무방해죄가 성립한다. 나아가 컴퓨터 등 정보처리장치에 정보를 입력하는 등의 행위가 그 입력된 정보 등을 바탕으로 업무를 담당하는 사람의 오인, 착각 또는 부지를 일으킬 목적으로 행해진 경우에는 그 행위가 업무를 담당하는 사람을 직접적인 대상으로 이루어진 것이 아니라고 하여 위계가 아니라고 할 수는 없다(대법원 2013. 11. 28. 선고 2013도4178 판결 등 참조).

나. 사기죄의 성립 요건인 기망행위는 사람으로 하여금 착오를 일으키게 하는 것을 말한다(대법원 1984. 2. 14. 선고 83도2995 판결, 대법원 2017. 2. 16. 선고 2016도13362 전원합의체 판결, 대법원 2017. 9. 26. 선고 2017도8449 판결 등 참조). 그리하여 재산변동에 관한 사무가 사람의 개입 없이 컴퓨터 등에 의하여 기계적·자동적으로 처리되는 경우 등과 같이 사람에 대한 기망행위를 수반하지 않는다면 사기죄로 처벌할 수 없다(대법원 2020. 2. 27. 선고 2019도14960 판결 참조). 그러나 비록 컴퓨터 등 정보처리장치에 정보를 입력하는 등의 행위가 재산적 처분행위를 하는 사람을 직접적인 대상으로 한 것이 아니라고 하더라도, 그러한 행위로 인한 정보처리의 결과를 통하여 재산적 처분행위를 하는 사람을 착오에 빠뜨렸다면, 단지 사람의 개입 없이 컴퓨터 등에 의하여 기계적·자동적으로 처리되는 경우와는 달리 사람에 대한 기망행위에 해당한다.

3. 판단

원심은 판시와 같은 이유로 이 사건 공소사실을 모두 유죄로 인정하였다. 원심판결 이유를 앞서 본 법리와 적법하게 채택된 증거에 비추어 살펴보면, 원심의 판단은 정당하고, 거기에 논리와 경험의 법칙을 위반하여 자유심증주의의 한계를 벗어나거나 업무방해죄의 위계, 사기죄의 기망행위 등에 관한 법리를 오해한 잘못이 없다.

4. 결론

상고를 모두 기각하기로 하여, 관여 대법관의 일치된 의견으로 주문과 같이 판결한다.

대법관 서경환(재판장) 노태악 신숙희 마용주(주심)

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#2
2007노687 · 서울고법 2007-06-21
특정경제범죄가중처벌등에관한법률위반(사기){일부인정된죄명:특정경제범죄가중처벌등에관한법률위반(사기)방조}·특정경
#3
2005노4541 · 수원지방법원 2006-05-25
공갈·절도·협박·업무방해·정보통신망이용촉진및정보보호등에관한법률위반(명예훼손)
#4
2021노2136 · 인천지방법원 2021-11-25
업무방해·전자금융거래법위반
#5
2009고합19,2009고합22(병합),2009고합30(병합),2009고합47(병합),2009고합51(병합),2009고합60(병합) · 대전지방법원 홍성지원 2010-02-12
특정경제범죄가중처벌등에관한법률위반(횡령){피고인5,6,7,8,13,14,15,16,17,18에대하여인정된죄명

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