After Reserving a Dinner for 30 "Filming Crew Members" in Suwon, Suspect Disappears
Requests Proxy Order for Alcohol, Then Vanishes After Receiving Payment
As cases of 'no-show' fraud involving impersonation of celebrities, politicians, and other public figures are on the rise across the country, a new complaint has been filed with the police regarding a similar crime in which the perpetrator impersonated the production team of the SBS variety show "Running Man."
The production team of Running Man urged caution against the crime of 'no-show fraud' through the official website. Screenshot from the Running Man website
On May 15, Yonhap News reported that the Suwon Nambu Police Station had received a complaint the previous day from the owner of a karaoke bar in Ingye-dong, Suwon, who claimed to have been defrauded by a suspect posing as a member of the Running Man production team. The victim reported that after being deceived into transferring a large sum to pay for expensive whiskey, they suffered financial losses. The police have initiated a preliminary investigation prior to formal charges.
According to the complaint, the victim, identified as A, received a call around 7 p.m. on May 13 from a suspect, identified as B, who introduced himself as a "Running Man filming producer." B claimed that about 30 members of the filming crew would visit for a team dinner in two hours and requested a reservation, asking A to order three bottles of premium whiskey. B also sent a photo of a business card resembling those of real liquor companies, claiming that they usually did business with a specific whiskey supplier.
Trusting B, A transferred 3.9 million won for the whiskey to the account provided. B, who had promised to pay for the whiskey upon arrival, later sent a message saying that visiting would be difficult and then cut off all contact. The business card with the SBS logo that A received from B, as well as the liquor company card and the bank account, all turned out to be fake.
Only after realizing it was a scam did A visit the Suwon Nambu Police Station on May 14 to file a complaint. A police official stated, "Since A submitted a complaint rather than a formal accusation, the case is currently being handled as a preliminary investigation."
Such new forms of 'no-show fraud,' where perpetrators use the names of celebrities to make reservations and then demand proxy purchases of liquor or other goods, have been occurring in succession. In Changwon, Gyeongnam, where singer Nam Jin's 60th anniversary concert was recently held, several restaurants received group reservations for "concert after-parties" and suffered losses after prepaying for liquor and other expenses, only for the guests to never show up. Actors Ha Jungwoo, Namkoong Min, Byun Wooseok, and singer Song Gain have also reported similar incidents and urged the public to be cautious.
There have also been reports of similar scams involving impersonation of politicians. On May 15, the office of Democratic Party lawmaker Moon Jinseok (Cheonan-gap) warned the public after receiving multiple reports from restaurants in the Cheonan area about 'no-show fraud' perpetrated by someone posing as Moon's secretary. The perpetrator claimed to be reserving a dinner for 20 people, including members of the National Assembly and ministers, and requested a wire transfer for wine, but failed to appear on the day of the reservation.
On the morning of May 15, the Running Man team also posted an official notice on their website titled "Announcement Regarding Impersonation of Production Staff," stating, "Recently, there have been cases of individuals impersonating production staff and requesting large deliveries of premium liquor. If you receive any suspicious contact that appears to be impersonation, please do not respond and take extra precautions to avoid becoming a victim."
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