A shocking scam has recently come to light in South Korea, where a con artist impersonated the famous actor Lee Jung Jae—the star of the hit series Squid Game—and swindled a woman out of 500 million won (over $347,000 USD).
According to JTBC, the victim, referred to as Ms. A, began receiving messages in April from a social media account claiming to be Lee Jung Jae. The person sent her selfies supposedly taken at the airport and said he was filming Squid Game Season 3. The images and identification documents were all generated using artificial intelligence (AI), making them appear incredibly convincing.
Believing she was speaking with her idol, Ms. A gradually fell into the elaborate trap. The fake “Lee Jung Jae” affectionately called her by pet names and repeatedly asked for money — claiming he needed funds to make a fan membership card, pay travel expenses, or resolve issues while being “detained” at an American airport. Each time, Ms. A transferred money, ultimately sending over 500 million won before realizing she had been deceived.
To make matters worse, another person posing as the actor’s “senior manager” later demanded an additional 6 million won, promising to arrange a private meeting. Even after police began investigating, the imposter shamelessly messaged her again, pleading, “Please trust me one more time.”
Police in Gyeongnam Province confirmed that an investigation into the scam group is underway. Meanwhile, Lee Jung Jae’s management company released an official statement emphasizing that the actor never asks fans for money or financial help, urging everyone to be cautious and ignore suspicious messages.
Online romance scams have become alarmingly common in South Korea, especially with the rise of AI technology that makes it easy to fake photos and voices. According to data from Korea University, during the first half of 2023, there were 280 reported romance fraud cases, with over 70% of victims being women in their 20s and 30s, and total losses averaging 600 million won per month.
Lee Jung Jae, 53, has been one of Korea’s most respected actors since his debut in 1993. He is best known for films like New World, Assassination, and Operation Chromite, as well as his breakout global role in Squid Game. Off-screen, he has been in a long-term relationship with Lim Se Ryeong, vice chairwoman of the Daesang Group, though the couple has chosen to keep their private lives low-key.
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