On the 3rd, the Korea Communications Commission disclosed recent cases of the widespread "romance scam" crime and urged individuals to verify the identity of strangers who contact them through social networking services (SNS) before engaging in conversation.
Romance scams refer to fraudulent activities where individuals impersonate romantic partners after gaining trust and then solicit investments or other demands.
According to the case reviewed by the Korea Communications Commission, a victim known as A contacted a foreign woman through TikTok and was subsequently solicited for investment related to live shopping. Lured by the promise of earning revenue by ordering products a minimum of 10 times a day on a specific site, the victim spent over 53 million won on 13 transactions but received nothing in return. A reported to the police based on advice from acquaintances after learning that to recover the money paid, an additional withdrawal fee of over 37 million won was required.
The Korea Communications Commission informed the public about precautions regarding romance scam tactics. If a stranger initiates a conversation on SNS, it is advised to first verify their identity through video calls and to ensure that any recommended sites for signing up have a certified real-name verification service.
The Korea Communications Commission emphasized that sites with a "withdrawal" menu should be treated with suspicion, as reputable sites do not typically offer overt cash withdrawal services.