A surprising romance scam incident involving an imposter account impersonating Squid Game star Lee Jung Jae has emerged, cheating a South Korean woman out of around 500 million KRW (some $350,000 USD).
As reported by Allkpop, the scam started when the victim, who is only known as Ms. A, met someone online who presented himself as "Lee Jung Jae." The impersonator said he wanted to "communicate with fans," making Ms. A think she was in touch with the actual actor.
In a declaration covered by News18, the impersonator reinforced the fantasy by providing Ms. A with AI-made selfies purportedly snapped "at the airport" and even showed a fake identification card stating he was busy shooting "Squid Game 3". The photo-realistic images and elaborate forgeries led Ms.A to believe he was real.
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Over the course of several weeks, this impersonator carefully constructed an emotional bond and trust by showing kindness to A through such terms as "honey" and "darling." Then, the second conspirator, presenting as an executive, entered the scheme by claiming he could set up a private meeting for 6 million KRW with Lee Jung Jae.
As months went by, the fraudsters kept coming up with excuses to ask for money, blackmailing Ms. A for a sum of 500 million KRW (some $350,000 USD) in six months.
In her objective recount of her thought, Ms. A explained to journalists, "I truly believed he was the real Lee Jung Jae. Looking back, I feel so foolish."
The authorities have confirmed that the Miryang Police Department of Gyeongnam Province is dealing with the case. The police suspect the scammer can be linked to an international criminal organization based in Cambodia, considering the level of sophistication of the digital content and payment channels.
The impersonator continued to contact Ms. A. despite the investigation having begun, according to the police. He sent her repeated messages stating, "Please trust me."
Experts caution that romance scams, where criminals emotionally manipulate victims to extract funds, have escalated as more advanced AI-generated images and fabricated online personas are being employed.
Police authorities are encouraging the public to cross-check celebrity encounters through reputable sources and be on guard against unsolicited personal messages on social media.
