While online dating offers convenience, it has also led to a surge in various scam tactics, particularly romance scams. Perpetrators often impersonate celebrities or adopt other false identities to build emotional connections with victims, eventually tricking them into transferring money, leading to significant financial losses for many.
Recently, renowned South Korean actor Lee Dong-wook (이동욱) was unwittingly embroiled in an identity-theft romance scam. According to SBS, a woman in her 30s claimed she had been dating a famous male actor for over a year, during which she reportedly transferred tens of millions of Korean won. To substantiate her claims, she presented chat screenshots and other evidence, firmly believing she was communicating with Lee Dong-wook.
However, the report indicated that the photos sent to her by the scammer were likely AI-generated fakes.
The woman stated that she paid approximately 35 million won (about 800,000 New Taiwan Dollars) to the imposter Lee Dong-wook, even using savings originally earmarked for living expenses.
She recounted that the scammer had expressed affection for her and they had even discussed visiting each other's parents and arranging formal family meetings, suggesting their relationship had progressed to the point of marriage. She recalled, “Lee Dong-wook seemed to confess his love to me, and we even talked about meeting my parents together and having our families meet officially. Our relationship had developed to that extent, so we started dating.”
The woman revealed that the scammer called her “dear,” while she addressed him as “oppa,” and they conversed like a couple for nearly a year. During this period, she spent between 30 million and 40 million won, even breaking her time deposit to use money intended for daily life. “In total, I gave him 35 million won,” she said.
The report primarily aimed to alert the public to common romance scam tactics and urged vigilance to avoid falling victim to identity fraud.
Following the exposure of the incident, Lee Dong-wook's agency, King Kong by Starship, issued a statement on the 16th addressing the impersonation of its artist.
The agency emphasized that its artists would never solicit money, fees, personal information, or other valuable items from fans or the general public through private messaging apps or social media accounts.
The company also urged the public to immediately report any suspicious accounts or situations that appear to be impersonating its artists to the agency, to prevent others from becoming victims.
