Korean celebrities lose millions to phone scams, fueling fears over rising phishing crimes

A series of shocking revelations about celebrity victims of phone and online scams has sparked alarm in Korea, where phishing crimes are becoming increasingly sophisticated and costly. During a Monday episode of the YouTube show “Jodongari,” entertainer Ji Seok-jin revealed that one of his celebrity acquaintances lost 300 million won ($220,000) to a voice phishing scam. “They’re a very smart person, but they were told to click a website link — and once they did, it looked completely legitimate. They’re the kind of person you’d think would never fall for it,” Ji said, highlighting how advanced such schemes have become. Ji also shared his own close call. “About 15 years ago, someone impersonating broadcaster Kim Gura asked me to send 2 million won. I almost fell for it,” he said. Other celebrities have not been so lucky. Actor Bae Jung-nam confessed on the SBS show “My Little Old Boy” in February that he was scammed out of 4.5 million won during an online secondhand purchase. “I told the scammer, ‘I know I’ve been conned — if you return even half, I won’tWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times