"Honey, Please Pay 20 Million Won for My Entry Fee"... Police Prevent Romance Scam

A Man in His 60s Exhibits Suspicious Behavior While Looking at His Phone
Police Detect "Romance Scam" and Prevent the Transfer

A man in his 60s who was nearly defrauded of 20 million won by someone posing as a woman on a chat app was able to avoid the scam with the help of the police.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Mobile Patrol Unit announced on the 23rd that, while patrolling the Cheonho-dong area of Gangdong-gu on the afternoon of the 6th, they discovered a male victim of a romance scam and prevented a financial loss of 20 million won.

Male victim of romance scam at police checkpoint. Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Mobile Patrol Unit

Mr. A appeared suspicious, repeatedly looking at his mobile phone and glancing around while on the street. Police officers passing by during their patrol noticed Mr. A's unusual behavior.

When asked if he needed help, Mr. A explained that he had been in contact with an unknown woman through a chat app for about two months and had developed a romantic relationship. He added that the woman claimed to live abroad and that they had never met in person. The chat history Mr. A showed included arguments about a 20 million won entry fee.

Mr. A had been communicating and dating a woman he met through a chat app two months ago, but said that since she was living overseas, they had never met face-to-face.

In the chat, the other party used a profile photo of a woman appearing to be in her 20s and addressed him as "honey," behaving as if they were in a romantic relationship. Then, the scammer requested, "Honey, please send 20 million won for my entry fee."

The police immediately recognized this as a romance scam and explained the situation to Mr. A, preventing him from sending the money. Their quick response proved crucial.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency stated that it will continue to do its utmost to prevent and raise awareness about financial losses caused by romance scams and other fraud crimes.

Meanwhile, romance scams typically involve perpetrators posing as foreigners or Japanese nationals living overseas, approaching victims through matching applications or similar platforms. After fostering romantic feelings or a sense of closeness, the scammers then steal funds under the pretense of investment.