A Korean woman in her 50s has been scammed out of over £260k after believing she was talking to Squid Game star Lee Jung Jae.
The scam took place over six months, throughout which the woman, known as Ms A, believed she was in a romantic relationship with the actor. “He” had approached her on TikTok, claiming to want to get to know her.
“I came to contact you because I wanted to communicate with fans,” the scammer, disguised as Lee Jung Jae said.
They even went as far as using an AI-generated video of Jung Jae at an airport to prove it was him, and sent her a picture of a fake ID. The scammer claimed to be filming a new season of Squid Game.
via Netflix
As she continued to get to know who she thought was a famous actor, the scammer started using affectionate terms towards her, like “honey” and “sweetheart”.
“I truly believed he was the real Lee Jung Jae. Looking back, I feel so foolish,” Ms. A said in an interview sourced by JTBC.
The scammer introduced a side character, a “manager” who would help her meet Lee Jung Jae – if she paid him the right amount of money. Over half a year she was involved with the scammer, the criminals used multiple schemes to steadily get over £260k out of her.
via Netflix
Lee’s agency, Artist Company, released an official statement on social media about the scam.
“We clearly state that neither the company nor any of our artists will ever ask for money, wire transfers or sponsorships under any circumstances,” the statement said. “If you receive any such requests, please do not respond and take extra caution to avoid falling victim to fraud.”
It continued: “We will continue to do our utmost to foster a safe and healthy fan culture.”
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Featured image via Netflix/JTBC
