Former T-ara member Areum and her fiancé Seo have been accused of borrowing money from their Instagram followers. YouTube personality Lee Jin Ho brought the issue to light in a video posted on March 27th, revealing messages and call recordings between Seo and Areum’s followers.
>> Areum Hospitalized After Alleged Suidice Attempt Amid Divorce Proceedings
According to Lee Jin Ho, Seo initiated contact with a follower, referred to as “A,” stating, “Could we talk over the phone? We’ve been Instagram friends for a while, and I have a favor to ask.” In a subsequent phone conversation, Seo expressed a dire situation, “Areum is currently hospitalized. I’ve lost my phone and don’t have any contacts. She’s pregnant, and I’ve been scammed. Areum needs surgery today, and we have to pay the hospital bills, but we’re short on money.”
Seo’s plea continued, “It doesn’t have to be much, but could you possibly help? We’re desperately short on funds. The baby is 11 weeks, and I want to save it. Please help us.” He then sent his bank account information via text message, though follower A decided against sending money due to the high likelihood of a scam.
Allegations also surfaced against Areum herself for soliciting money from followers. In response, she recently posted on her Instagram, “Someone is using my name to scam people. While it’s true I’m hospitalized, I don’t have any financial issues. I hope there won’t be any more victims.” However, a woman commented on the post claiming she was coerced into lending money to Areum and Seo.
The woman shared, “Worried you might have been hacked, I asked if it really was you to take a real-time photo with three fingers and your face, and you immediately sent one. I have all the evidence, but you deleted my comment and even blocked me.” Another person disclosed, “We sent over 30 million KRW (25,000 USD) to Areum.”
Seo has since responded, attributing the money requests to Areum’s pleas. He stated, “At Areum’s request, I did ask a follower or two for a loan. However, there were DMs sent that I didn’t personally send. I haven’t been able to confirm if this was due to hacking or Areum since she knows my phone password.” He added, “I, too, am a victim here. There’s a lot that I feel I am being falsely accused of, so I plan to gather all relevant materials and submit them to the authorities. I’ve even proceeded with a lawsuit.”
However, Lee Jin Ho countered, “If what Areum and Seo claim about being hacked is true, there would be no reason to send Seo’s bank account information. The suspicions are far from being resolved.”
On a more distressing note, Areum reportedly attempted to take her life on March 27th and was rushed to the hospital. Seo, through his Instagram, shared that Areum has yet to regain consciousness, stating, “I pray that Areum will be okay.”
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