BTS Jungkook Suffers HYBE Stock Theft Due to Identity Fraud... "Restoration Measures"

"Immediate Action Taken Upon Detection of Crime... Actual Damage Prevented"
However, the Identity Thief Has Not Yet Been Caught

It was recently revealed that there was an attempt to steal HYBE stocks worth approximately 8.4 billion KRW by fraudulently using the name of BTS member Jungkook.

Group BTS Jungkook. Big Hit Music

According to the music industry and Yonhap News on the 22nd, Jungkook had a total of 33,500 HYBE shares stolen shortly after enlisting in the military in January last year. Based on HYBE's stock price at the time, the stolen shares were worth about 8.4 billion KRW.

The perpetrator fraudulently opened a securities account using Jungkook's name without authorization, stole the HYBE shares, and then transferred or sold them through other accounts. Of the 33,500 stolen shares, 33,000 were transferred to a newly opened account, and the remaining 500 shares were sold to a third party.

Jungkook's agency, Big Hit Music, stated on the day, "The company and the artist took immediate action upon recognizing the criminal activity, including suspending payments on the account and restoring the original state to prevent actual damage." Jungkook's side filed a lawsuit demanding the return of the 500 shares transferred to the third party in 2024, and last month, the Seoul Western District Court ruled that the third party must return the shares to Jungkook.

The Seoul Western District Court explained, "Jungkook was only a victim of identity theft," adding, "It was a serious negligence to proceed with the transaction without verifying the identity of the account holder, just based on hearing that the shares were those of a major shareholder."

However, the perpetrator who used Jungkook's name has not yet been caught. Big Hit Music reported that they have implemented enhanced security measures related to artist personal information and devices to prevent recurrence.

Meanwhile, Jungkook enlisted as an active-duty soldier in the army in December 2023 and is currently serving his military duty. He is scheduled to be discharged in June.