A woman in her 50s has been scammed out of 500 million won ($370,000) by a “romance scam” ring impersonating superstar actor Lee Jung Jae. In response, the actor’s agency, Artist Company, has issued a strong official warning to fans.
On October 22nd, the agency stated, “A crime has occurred where individuals impersonated our actor to demand money. We will take strong action to protect both our artist and fans.” They further emphasized, “The agency and the artist himself will never request money, bank transfers, or any form of financial support. If you receive such a request, please do not respond.”
The news was first reported by the Korean outlet JTBC on October 21st. According to the report, the scammers approached the victim on TikTok, claiming to be Lee Jung Jae and saying they “wanted to communicate with fans.” Over the course of six months, they gained her trust using AI-generated photos of the actor and a forged ID card.
Believing she was in a real romantic relationship with the star, exchanging affectionate terms like “honey” and “sweetie”, the woman sent the scammers a total of 500 million won after they promised she would be able to meet him in person.
Police in Gyeongnam Province are currently investigating the case and are looking into the possibility of a link to an international criminal organization based in Cambodia.
>> Lee Jung Jae Becomes a Star Haunted by His Famous Cop Role in ‘Nice to Not Meet You’ Poster
Source (1)
