"Definitely coming," then "canceled due to unforeseen circumstances"
Three reports of self-employed victims filed as of the 11th
There have been a series of scam crimes in which individuals impersonate employees of singer Nam Jin's agency, make group reservations at restaurants, and then cut off contact.
According to the agency and other sources on May 12, on May 8, Mr. A, a man in his 40s who runs a barbecue restaurant in Jungang-dong, Seongsan-gu, Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, received a call saying, "We would like to hold an after-party for Nam Jin's 60th anniversary concert," and "Please reserve a table for 20 people at 8:30 p.m. on the 10th." The caller, Mr. B, introduced himself as an employee of the agency and said, "Due to company policy, it is difficult to pay a deposit immediately, so we will settle the payment on the day of the event."
Although Mr. A was skeptical, he decided to trust the caller because a nationwide tour concert celebrating Nam Jin's 60th debut anniversary was scheduled to be held in Changwon that day. He and his staff prepared food for the group and even made a bouquet and posters for Nam Jin.
The next day, the man claiming to be an agency employee called Mr. A again and requested, "Please prepare alcohol at your restaurant for Nam Jin and the concert performers." The specific types of alcohol requested were high-end liquors that Mr. A's restaurant did not carry. Mr. A explained this, but the man provided the contact information of a liquor supplier and asked Mr. A to pay in advance and prepare the alcohol ahead of time.
When Mr. A refused, the man insisted, "We will definitely come." Eventually, Mr. A paid approximately 4.7 million won for the liquor. The arrangement was that the liquor would be delivered on the morning of the reservation. However, on the 10th, Mr. A received a text message from the man who had insisted they would "definitely come," stating, "Something came up, so the gathering is canceled." After that, all contact was lost, and Mr. A neither received the alcohol nor got his money back.
On Nam Jin's agency homepage, a notice was posted stating, "Many celebrities are being exploited by the recent restaurant reservation voice phishing crimes," and, "We hope that restaurant staff who receive reservation calls regarding this matter will recognize it as voice phishing and avoid any damage." The notice also stated, "Singer Nam Jin has no after-parties scheduled following his concerts."
Recently, it has been found that there have been multiple cases of self-employed individuals in the Changwon restaurant industry falling victim to similar scams. According to Changwon Jungbu Police Station, as of May 11, three reports have been filed by self-employed individuals who were scammed in this manner. At a restaurant in the Masan area of Changwon, a similar "Nam Jin concert after-party" reservation was made, and the restaurant prepared a large amount of food, only to be left in a difficult situation.
The police believe there may be more victims. A police official stated, "We will do our best to handle the reported cases efficiently and prevent further damage to self-employed business owners."
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