South Korea reports a sharp rise in fraud targeting foreigners over the past two years, according to data cited by a ruling party lawmaker from the National Police Agency. Rep. Kim Joon-hwan says the number of foreign fraud victims increased from 5,307 in 2023 to 8,671 in 2024, then surged to 19,907 last year. The reports frame the growth in part alongside an increase in international visitors. The scheme described most prominently involves hallyu or K-pop-related merchandise scams. In these cases, scammers reportedly contact overseas fans and claim they can arrange purchases and shipment of items linked to K-pop stars. Victims are asked to pay money upfront, but the scammers then disappear without delivering goods. One account links the pattern to a period around June 12-13, when BTS held a major concert in Busan, noting that among five reported crimes targeting foreigners during that timeframe, three were scam cases. The lawmaker also points to a broader increase across all crimes involving foreign victims, with the total rising by 81.7% from 28,048 in 2023 to 50,975 last year, and calls for prevention efforts.
Scams targeting foreigners in South Korea nearly quadruple in two years
South Korea reports a sharp rise in fraud targeting foreigners over the past two years, according to data cited by a ruling party lawmaker from the National Police Agency. Rep. Kim Joon-hwan says the...
- Fraud victims among foreign nationals in South Korea nearly quadruple over two years, rising from 5,307 (2023) to 19,907 (last year).
- The figures are cited by Rep. Kim Joon-hwan using data submitted from the National Police Agency.
- K-pop or hallyu merchandise scams are identified as a recurring type of fraud targeting overseas fans.
- In reported cases, scammers ask for upfront payment and then disappear without delivering goods.
- During June 12-13, around a BTS concert in Busan, three of five reported crimes involving foreigners were scams.
As a record number of international visitors flock to Korea on the back of the popularity of Korean culture, crimes targeting foreigners have surged sharply, with K-pop merchandise scams emerging as a growing threat among a broader wave of fraud. According to latest data submitted by the National Police Agency to Rep. Kim Joon-hwan of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, the number of foreign nationals — whether visitors or residents — who fell victim to fraud in Korea nearly quadrupled over the past two years. The number of foreign fraud victims rose from 5,307 in 2023 to 8,671 in 2024, before skyrocketing to 19,907 last year. One of the notable fraud schemes targeting foreigners are scams related to hallyu, or the Korean wave, in which fraudsters approach overseas fans claiming they can purchase and ship merchandise related to K-pop stars or other Korean celebrities. Victims are asked to send money upfront, after which the scammers disappear without delivering the goods. Such complaints have become increasingly common on social media platforms, particularly X, formerly Twitter, wh
9 hours agoThe number of foreigners who fell victim to fraud in South Korea has nearly quadrupled in just two years, a lawmaker said Sunday, citing data from the National Police Agency. The number of foreign victims who were scammed rose from 5,307 in 2023 to 8,671 in 2024, before surging to 19,907 last year, according to Rep. Kim Joon-hwan of the ruling Democratic Party. Many of the cases reportedly involved overseas fans of Korean pop culture, known as "hallyu," with scammers approaching fans and offering merchandise related to K-pop stars, then vanishing after receiving money. Among crimes targeting foreigners reported from June 12-13, when K-pop megagroup BTS' concert took place in the southeastern city of Busan, three of the five reported crimes were scam cases. The data showed that the number of foreigners who fell victim to all crime cases jumped 81.7 percent over the past two years, with the number rising from 28,048 in 2023 to 50,975 last year. The ruling party lawmaker called for efforts to prevent crimes targeting foreigners amid a sharp increase in the number of foreign tourists visiting
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