Lee Jung-jae’s agency warns public after KRW 500 million romance scam involving impersonator
Artist Company, the agency representing Squid Game star Lee Jung-jae, has issued a public warning following reports of a romance scam that defrauded a woman of KRW 500 million (approximately P20.4 million) over a six-month period.
In an official statement released on Oct. 22, the agency confirmed that individuals posed as Lee Jung-jae to solicit money from an unsuspecting victim.
“A crime has occurred where individuals impersonated our agency’s actor to demand money and gain financial benefits,” the statement read.
“Under no circumstances do we request financial support, account transfers, sponsorships, or any form of economic demands,” it added.
Artist Company urged fans to remain vigilant and avoid responding to suspicious messages.
The agency also confirmed that it is cooperating with authorities and reaffirmed its commitment to fostering a safe and healthy fan culture.
The prompt warning follows a JTBC report, per Chosun, detailing how a woman in her 50s, identified as Ms. A, was targeted by scammers posing as Lee Jung-jae on TikTok.
The impersonator claimed he was filming Squid Game Season 3 and sent AI-generated selfies and a forged ID to gain her trust, saying, "This is actor Lee Jung-jae. I reached out to communicate with fans."
The scam escalated after the victim was promised a private meeting with the actor, who used terms of endearment, such as “honey” and “sweetie,” to emotionally deceive the victim.
The South Gyeongsang Provincial Police Agency is set to investigate the case, with suspicions pointing to a Cambodian crime network.
Earlier this year, a French woman also fell victim after an impersonator posed as Brad Pitt.
The 61-year-old woman, named Anne, told the Seven to Eight program on the TF1 channel that she had believed she was in a romantic relationship with the Hollywood star, leading her to divorce her husband and transfer $850,000 (P49 million).
The scammers used fake social media and WhatsApp accounts, as well as AI image-creating technology to send Anne what appeared to be selfies and messages from Pitt.
