Scams are unfortunately rampant, typically targeting older and more vulnerable victims. Recently, a woman in her 50s became the victim of a romance scam after falling for an AI-generated Lee Jungjae (이정재).
According to news outlets, a South Korean woman, “A”, recently fell victim to a romance scam criminal ring. The suspects reportedly impersonated the South Korean actor and contacted the victim through social media. Shockingly, the scammers went to extreme lengths to appear authentic, even using generative AI to create fake selfies of Lee Jungjae and sharing a counterfeit driver’s license to convince the victim.
The conversation then shifted from social media to the KakaoTalk messaging app. “A” was reportedly led to believe she was in a romantic relationship with Lee Jungjae, as the scammers would use pet names with her. As their conversation progressed, the scammers would begin asking the victim for money, assuring that she would get the money back later. In the span of six months, “A” was defrauded of approximately 500 million won (RM1.47 million) in total.
The Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency has taken over the case from the Miryang Police Station. Authorities are now investigating all possible leads, including ties to a Cambodian criminal organisation. Meanwhile, Lee Jungjae’s agency, Artist Company, issued a statement on the matter. In the social media post, the company confirmed that the scammers used Lee Jungjae’s image. However, it clarified that neither the actor nor the management had any involvement in the crime.
At the same time, Artist Company assured that neither the company nor its artists would ever ask the public for money, wire transfers or sponsorships. They also urged the public to ignore such requests and take extra caution to avoid falling victim to fraud. Additionally, the agency is currently working with relevant authorities on the case. It will also take further action to protect Lee Jungjae and his fans.
It’s shocking how far scammers would go to defraud victims. We hope justice will prevail for the victim, and we urge the public to be more vigilant about such issues.
Source: KoreaJoongAng Daily
