"I thought I was dating Lee Dong-wook": Korean woman loses $25,000 to fraud

“I thought I was dating Lee Dong-wook”: Korean woman loses $25,000 due to fraud

In a report by the SBS TV channel, a 30-year-old woman shared that she had been in a romantic relationship for over a year with someone she believed to be Lee Dong-wook.

“It was as if he confessed his love to me, you know. We even talked about visiting my parents together and introducing our families. Everything became so deep. As a result, a romantic relationship started between us. ‘I love you, honey,’ he would say. I called him ‘oppa’ (my love), and he called me ‘chagiya’ (honey). We talked this way for almost a year. I spent about 30–40 million won. I even closed my savings account and used money meant for living expenses. In total, I gave him 35 million won,” says the victim.

The woman also showed screenshots of her correspondence with the person she believed to be the actor. However, the photos sent to her were generated using artificial intelligence.

According to her, it all started with a simple message on social media.

“At first, he wrote to me, saying he liked my page and that I was cute. Then we started talking every day. He was very attentive, asking how my day went, wishing me good morning and good night. It never crossed my mind that it wasn't him...”

After several months of communication, the “actor” began to complain about financial difficulties. At first, these were small amounts, but then they gradually increased. Believing she was helping the person she loved, the woman repeatedly transferred money to him.

“He would say he had problems with his agency, that he urgently needed to go somewhere, and that he couldn't receive his fees right now. I believed him. I just wanted to help.”

On September 16, Lee Dong-wook's agency, King Kong by Starship, issued an official statement warning against cases of individuals impersonating the agency's artists: “No one from King Kong by Starship requests money, payments, personal information, or other valuables through personal messengers or social media accounts.”

The statement also noted that the company frequently encounters such situations: “We have repeatedly received reports about fake accounts using our artists' names and photos. We ask fans to be vigilant and not fall for provocations.”

The agency also requested that suspicious accounts be reported to the official email [email protected].

This is not the first time fraudsters have used Lee Dong-wook's name. A warning about fake accounts was published on his official website back in 2020, asking fans not to send money and personal information to strangers, and in 2025, the agency warned about stalkers and privacy violations. Thus, the company has been fighting such problems for several years.