As online relationships become increasingly popular, scams also become more diverse. Among them, "emotional scams" are constantly occurring, causing many people to suffer financial and spiritual losses.
Recently, a woman over 30 years old in Korea lost 35 million won (about 657 million VND) after believing that she was in love with actor Lee Dong Wook. The man she had been talking to for more than a year was actually a person impersonating a Korean actor to commit emotional fraud.
According to SBS, the woman called A said she started a relationship with a person claiming to be Lee Dong Wook after the other person actively expressed their feelings. The prolonged conversations made A believe that she was actually dating the famous actor.
Not only saying sweet words, this person also creates a vision of a serious relationship. The two talk about meeting their parents and letting both families officially meet. In daily communication, the other person calls A by addressing each other intimately like lovers, and she also calls this person "oppa".
I have a feeling that the person claiming to be Lee Dong Wook confessed his love to me, even said he would meet my parents. The relationship went so far that both of us planned to let both families officially meet," the woman recounted angrily.
A's trust was further strengthened when the other person sent her images believed to be private photos of Lee Dong Wook. However, after the incident was exposed, these images were suspected to be products created by AI to impersonate the actor.
Believing that she was supporting her lover, A transferred money to the other person many times. She even withdrew her savings and used the money for living expenses. After about a year, the total amount she transferred to this person reached 35 million won (about 657 million VND).
Only when she realized that the man she was talking to was not Lee Dong Wook did A realize that she had become a victim of an "emotional scam". This is a trick in which criminals often build emotional relationships online, building trust for a long time before making requests related to money.
The incident quickly attracted attention in South Korea because the subject not only impersonated a normal person but also used the identity of a famous actor to approach the victim.
Immediately after the information was spread, King Kong by Starship - Lee Dong Wook's management company - issued a warning. The company affirmed that affiliated artists do not use private messaging applications or social networks to ask fans and the public to transfer money, pay fees, or provide personal information or valuable assets.
The company also requests everyone to be vigilant with accounts suspected of impersonating artists and quickly notify management when any unusual cases are detected.
