Woman loses $350,000 trying to meet «Squid Game» actor

In South Korea, a woman in her 50s sent over 500 million won—approximately $350,000—to an internet scammer, believing she was in a relationship with Lee Jung-jae, the star of the hit series Squid Game. The scammer won the woman's trust by using artificial intelligence-generated photos of the actor.

The woman, living in the South Korean city of Miryang and referred to in the media as «A», was contacted via social media by an individual claiming to be the famous actor. Later, they began communicating on the KakaoTalk messenger. The scammer addressed the woman as «dear» and «sweetheart», creating the illusion that the actor had developed romantic feelings for her.

«I am actor Lee Jung-jae. I wrote to you to communicate with fans,» he said in one of his initial messages.

The woman also believed the fake actor's requests for money. The scammer claimed he was supposedly stranded at a foreign airport and needed funds to return home. To gain her trust, he sent AI-generated photos of his identification card and driver's license.

«He said he would return my money as soon as I got back to Korea. I believed him,» the woman later told the police. But by this time, she had already sent the scammer over 500 million won.

According to the woman, she also paid approximately $7,500 for a VIP pass that would allow her to meet the fake actor in person. However, various excuses kept coming up, and the meeting never took place. When the scammer continued to demand more money, the woman decided to contact the police.

The Gyeongsangnam-do Provincial Police Agency confirmed that the woman was a victim of a romantic scam. The true identity of the person posing as Lee Jung-jae has not yet been established.

After the incident sparked widespread discussion, the actor's agency also issued a warning to fans. The statement asked people not to send money to individuals asking for funds on behalf of Lee Jung-jae.

Unfortunately, the chances of the woman recovering her lost money are very slim. A few months ago, a woman in France also lost $850,000 after trusting an internet scammer who claimed to be Brad Pitt.

These events show the necessity of verifying the identity of strangers who write on behalf of celebrities before trusting them, especially when money is demanded under the guise of personal relationships.