Confession of a 1.65 Million-Subscriber YouTuber: "I Was Targeted by Bodycam Phishing by a Man Pretending to Be a Woman"

"Take Off Your Clothes So I Can Check the Fit," Says Malwang

Malwang (real name Yoo Taeyang), a fitness YouTuber with 1.65 million subscribers, has revealed that he was a victim of "bodycam phishing" (a scam involving illegal filming and blackmail).

On May 7, during a YouTube live broadcast, Malwang stated, "Eight years ago, when I was active as a BJ on AfreecaTV, I was targeted by bodycam phishing after receiving an offer to model underwear and engaging in a video call."

Malwang. YouTube capture

At that time, he communicated with someone pretending to be a woman. This individual requested that he undress "to check the fit." The person complimented his appearance and encouraged him to remove his clothes. Malwang said, "Feeling good from the compliments, I ended up taking off all my clothes and even engaged in lewd acts."

Afterwards, Malwang realized that the person he had spoken to was not a woman but a man, and that he was then blackmailed for money by this man. He also revealed that part of the video was recently leaked online. Malwang reported the individual who distributed the video to the cyber investigation unit, but stated that the investigation has faced difficulties because it is hard to identify the perpetrator.

During the broadcast, Malwang called his mother and said, "Your son bravely revealed (the fact that he was a victim of bodycam phishing). This happened a few years ago, but I kept it quiet. I wasn't mentally distressed. I'm revealing this because I don't want others to be harmed, not just myself."

YouTuber Malwang. SNS capture

In response, Malwang's mother encouraged him, saying, "You did well. Anyway, you were brave, and (the fact that you were a victim of bodycam phishing) came out in a good way. This is the end (of the controversy)."

Since 2019, there have been more than 2,000 cases of bodycam phishing each year. According to the public data portal 'National Police Agency Cyber Financial Crime Statistics,' the number of bodycam phishing cases increased from 1,824 in 2019 to 2,583 in 2020. The numbers continued to rise, with 3,026 cases in 2021, 4,313 in 2022, and 3,545 in 2023.

Given the nature of phishing crimes, many victims do not report the incidents to the police by calling 112 in order to hide the fact that they have been victimized, so the actual number of cases is estimated to be even higher. The arrest rates for related crimes were only 26.21% in 2019, 20.09% in 2020, 23.73% in 2021, 10.9% in 2022, and 8.6% in 2023.