"I Don't Ask for Money"... Singer Yeongtak Also Fell Victim

Recent Increase in Phishing Crimes Using Celebrity Impersonation Accounts
Beware of Impersonation Scams Demanding Money via SNS

Singer Youngtak (41) has urged caution against impersonation accounts on his social networking service (SNS). Youngtak's agency, Abyss Company, stated on the 23rd, "We have recently discovered SNS accounts that impersonate the artist by creating similar accounts using the artist's photos or name, and we ask fans to be careful."

Singer Youngtak (41) has asked fans to be cautious of fake social media accounts impersonating him. Youngtak's agency, Abyss Company, stated on the 23rd, "We have recently discovered SNS accounts that use similar names or photos of the artist to impersonate him, and we ask fans to be careful."
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Abyss Company said, "All information regarding the artist's activities is provided through official channels (accounts) operated by our company," and added, "Neither our company nor the artist requests money or personal information from any individual." They further stated, "Any accounts other than the official channels are not operated by our company or the artist, so please check the announced official channels and be especially cautious to avoid any harm."

Online Phishing Crime Damage from Celebrity Impersonation Reaches 1 Trillion Won

On the afternoon of March 22, at the Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul, instructor Kim Mi-kyung is reading a statement at a press conference urging the resolution of online phishing crimes impersonating celebrities.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Recently, fraud crimes such as demanding money through accounts impersonating celebrities or unauthorized use for illegal advertisements have been increasing. According to police statistics, from September to December last year, there were over 1,000 cases of celebrity impersonation fraud, with damages amounting to 120 billion won.

On the 16th, actor and model Jung Ho-yeon, who appeared in the Netflix original drama 'Squid Game,' also revealed that she suffered from image theft. Her agency, Saram Entertainment, stated in an official statement that day, "We have received reports of unauthorized use of Jung Ho-yeon's image," and urged, "Please be especially cautious to avoid damage from illegal advertisements that use the actor's image without permission."

Previously, broadcasters Yoo Jae-suk, Song Eun-i, and Hong Jin-kyung, among others, also experienced similar damages. They formed a group called the 'Association for Solving Celebrity Impersonation Online Phishing Crimes' (Yusamo) to urge the resolution of impersonation phishing crimes. Yusamo announced in March that the damage caused by online phishing crimes impersonating celebrities is estimated to exceed 1 trillion won, highlighting the seriousness of the crime and calling for efforts from platforms and the government to resolve the issue. The statement from this group reportedly included participation from 137 celebrities, including broadcasters as well as John Lee, former CEO of Meritz Asset Management, instructor Kim Mi-kyung, and Joo Jin-hyung, former CEO of Hanwha Investment & Securities.