[Grace Kao] Don't be fooled by celebrity romance scams

The Federal Trade Commission of the US reported that in 2023, consumers lost $1.14 billion to romance scams. This is a substantial increase from $547 million in losses in 2021, and $304 million in 2020.
What exactly are romance scams and why are people susceptible to them? Scammers pose as someone who has fallen in love with the victim and is desperately trying to travel to the victim so they can meet. However, one tragedy after another ensues. The scammers work in teams and are grooming multiple victims simultaneously. The carefully designed scripts come in a variety of genres. An extremely interesting variant of this scam involves celebrities. Here, victims believe they are communicating with a celebrity and eventually develop a romantic relationship with them.
There are a number of YouTube channels that address this topic. For example, the YouTube channel @catfishedOnline investigates romance scams. Their findings are shared with the victim and often their families, and with the audience.
It's tempting to dismiss romance scam victims as gullible individuals who should have known better. However, the pervasiveness of romance scams suggests that criminals are addressing common issues of isolation and loneliness. Victims might be single or married in unsatisfying relationships. Their limited mobility or caregiving responsibilities at home might make it hard for them to meet others. Some may just be socially awkward and have had very few healthy romantic relationships.
On this channel, there have been victims that believed that they were in clandestine relationships with Barry Gibb (one of the members of the group Bee Gees), Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, actor Johnny Depp and Jennifer Aniston, singer Chris Brown, and comedian Matt Rife. Recently, a fake Jackson Wang (GOT7) made an appearance.
Images and information about celebrities are widely available on the internet. Let's say you're a fan of Cha Eun-woo. You can 'like' or 'comment' on one of his photos on social media. Someone named Cha Eun-woo might interact with you in the comments section or direct-message (DM) you. Suddenly, you are chatting with one of your favorite celebrities.
This type of contact can happen to any of us who are on social media. I was once friended by an imposter Hyun Bin -- I don't even follow him on any social media nor did I ever comment on any of his content, but I do post information about the Korean Wave. If I was excited to see fake Hyun Bin on my social media, can you imagine what my response might be if 'Jungkook' DM'd me?
Once, a fake version of K-pop singer 'Eric Nam' asked me if I was married and if so, was my marriage happy? Yikes.
The scammers work to convince victims that they are special. They send them photos and videos of the celebrity with personalized information about the victim added. An image might show your celebrity boyfriend holding a note that says, 'I love you, Grace.' The imposter divulges special secrets about their newest movie or concert. They eventually ask for help because their manager won't let them access their funds. Perhaps they are going through an acrimonious divorce and their assets are frozen. Eventually, they will be in a nearby town for a concert or other activity, so if you want to meet them, you can sign up for a 'meet and greet' which not only costs $1,000 but they also need your name, birthday and social security number -- all the information one needs to open a credit card account. Since you will soon be their partner, why not help them out?
In fact, a recent video featured a 70-something year old woman who believed she was engaged to 29-year old Comedian Matt Rife. Over the course of more than a year, she sent him over $100,000. Even after she was provided clear evidence that this was not the actual comedian, she continued to send money. Why did she do this? By sending money, she prolonged the fantasy.
In 2024, a North Carolina woman believed she was in a relationship with actor Ahn Hyeo-seop and that they were in love. She was offered the opportunity to meet him, but his 'manager' asked for expenses to arrange a meet and greet, and various other fees. Eventually, she sent him $67,000, more than her life savings.
While many victims in the media are women, evidence suggests that there are more male than female ones. According to a November 2022 Javelin survey of 5,000 households, men accounted for 73 percent of the victims of romance scams. In a National Geographic investigation of romance scammers in Nigeria, they confessed that they target men because men were likely to have more money and that they were easier to deceive.
So, what's the solution? We should all be in closer contact with our loved ones, especially those who may feel isolated. Also, it's probably safer to talk to your AI boyfriend than your celebrity one, but don't send money to either of them!
Grace Kao is an IBM professor of sociology and professor of ethnicity, race and migration at Yale University. The views expressed here are the writer's own. — Ed.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Korea Herald

3 hours ago

• Korea Herald

Macron invites ‘K-pop pioneer' Lee Soo-man to open French office, seeks stronger Korea-France creative ties

Lee delivers keynote at France Music Week as sole Asian speaker, calls for stronger protection of creators' rights in AI era President Emmanuel Macron invited Lee Soo-man — founder of SM Entertainment, who is often credited as the K-pop pioneer — to open an office in France. During a Friday meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris, the French leader expressed his desire to strengthen collaboration between South Korean and French creators, signaling high-level recognition of K-pop's cultural power. Lee, who now leads A2O Entertainment in Los Angeles, was in Paris as the only Asian speaker at the 'France Music Week Summit,' held at Place de l'Opera on the same day. Macron, attending the event, extended his invitation to Lee directly and instructed French Minister of Culture Rachida Dati to follow up on practical steps for implementation. Macron greeted Lee warmly, stating he was well aware of Lee's dual identity as both a creative visionary and a successful entrepreneur. Lee was introduced as 'the man who created K-pop,' a title that resonated with the event's focus on innovation in the global music industry. The meeting went beyond symbolic cultural diplomacy. It underscored France's growing interest in fostering creative exchanges with Korea, especially at a time when intellectual property rights and AI-driven content creation are reshaping the industry. Macron's invitation is being seen as a significant gesture that may lead to a long-term cultural and economic partnership. Meanwhile, Lee delivered a speech at the summit, where over 100 top executives from the global music business gathered to discuss pressing challenges in the industry. His remarks focused on the evolving role of fans, who he described as no longer 'consumers,' but 'prosumers' — fans who reinterpret, remake and even co-create content. 'I imagine a world where fans are part of the creative process, where they are rewarded economically for their participation,' Lee said. 'In the age of generative AI, we must protect the rights of not only original creators but also the emerging roles of re-creators and prosumers.' He also drew attention from industry insiders by explaining 'Culture Technology' — the system he pioneered to build K-pop into a global cultural force. Throughout the summit, panelists cited K-pop's structure and success as a case study in innovation. Lee emphasized that in the AI era, protecting creators' rights has become more urgent than ever. His stance on safeguarding creative ownership resonated strongly with the summit's broader themes. Other participants at the summit included Robert Kyncl, CEO of Warner Music Group; Lyor Cohen, Global Head of Music at YouTube; and Olivier Nusse, CEO of Universal Music France.

Korea Herald

a day ago

• Korea Herald

[Exclusive] BTS to come back in March: Hybe source

Group to return with labelmate Tomorrow X Together in mid-March, according to another source Big Hit Music says comeback schedule for boy group has yet to be finalized BTS is set to make its long-awaited full-group comeback in March next year, multiple industry sources confirmed to The Korea Herald. With all seven members completing their mandatory 18-month military service by this weekend — Suga is scheduled for discharge on Saturday — speculation has been mounting among fans and the wider K-pop industry over when the group would reunite and resume full-scale activities. 'BTS' comeback date is set for March next year,' a Hybe official confirmed through The Korea Herald's source recently. Two additional sources based overseas also said the biggest K-pop act in history is preparing to return as a full group early next year. 'While the exact date is unknown, I think it will be mid-March. I heard BTS is returning in the same month as their brother group Tomorrow X Together,' one source told The Korea Herald. 'It could be BTS first, then TXT — or the other way around.' Another source said that Enhypen, a boy group under Belift Lab, had initially planned its comeback for March, but moved it to January to avoid overlapping with BTS' return. Belift Lab is a Hybe subsidiary under its multilabel system along with Big Hit Music, which manages BTS. Big Hit said no confirmation has been made on the group's comeback schedule. While March may seem distant, Hybe CEO Lee Jae-sang previously signaled a longer timeline during the company's shareholder meeting in March this year. He stated that the BTS members would need time for preparation and creative work after their military discharge. 'We're preparing alongside top-tier producers, but the artists also need time to reflect and prepare,' Lee said. Meanwhile, Jin is scheduled to kick off his solo fan concert tour 'Runseokjin_EP.Tour' starting June 28-29 in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province. The tour will take him to nine cities, including Chiba and Osaka in Japan, Anaheim, Dallas, Tampa and Newark in the US, as well as London and Amsterdam, with 18 shows planned through Aug. 10 — making a BTS comeback this year unlikely. However, industry insiders see a possibility of a prerelease single or other project dropping before the group's official return. [단독] 방탄소년단, 내년 3월 완전체 컴백…하이브 관계자 '복귀 시점 정해져' 그룹 방탄소년단(BTS)이 내년 3월 완전체로 돌아올 전망이다. 하이브 소속사 관계자를 포함한 복수의 업계 관계자들이 최근 코리아헤럴드에 'BTS의 컴백 시점이 내년 3월로 정해졌다'고 전했다. 오는 토요일 슈가의 소집해제를 끝으로 멤버 전원이 18개월간의 군 복무를 마치게 되면서, BTS의 활동 재개 시점에 대한 기대감이 높아지고 있다. 해외에 기반을 둔 또 다른 관계자는 '정확한 날짜는 정해지지 않았지만 3월 중순이 될 가능성이 크다'며 '형제 그룹인 투모로우바이투게더(TXT)와 같은 시기에 돌아올 것으로 들었다. BTS가 먼저일 수도 있고, TXT가 먼저일 수도 있다'고 밝혔다. 또 다른 소식통에 따르면 하이브 산하 빌리프랩 소속 보이그룹 엔하이픈은 당초 내년 3월 컴백을 계획했으나, BTS와의 일정이 겹치는 것을 피하기 위해 컴백 시기를 1월로 앞당겼다. BTS가 소속된 빅히트뮤직 역시 하이브의 멀티 레이블 체제에 속해 있다. 이와 관련해 빅히트뮤직은 '컴백 일정은 확정된 바 없다'고 밝혔다. 3월이라는 시점이 아직 9개월여 남아 있는 만큼 다소 늦은 복귀처럼 느껴질 수 있지만, 하이브 이재상 대표는 지난 3월 주주총회에서 '멤버들이 전역 후 준비와 창작을 위한 시간이 필요하다'고 밝힌 바 있다. 이 대표는 '최상위급 프로듀서들과 함께 준비하고 있지만, 아티스트들도 자신을 돌아보고 정비하는 시간이 필요하다'고 전했다. 한편, 맏형 진은 오는 6월 28~29일 경기도 고양에서 솔로 팬 콘서트 투어 'Runseokjin_EP.Tour'의 포문을 연다. 이번 투어는 일본 지바·오사카, 미국 애너하임·댈러스·탬파·뉴어크, 영국 런던, 네덜란드 암스테르담 등 9개 도시에서 총 18회에 걸쳐 8월 10일까지 이어진다. 이에 따라 연내 완전체 컴백 가능성은 낮은 상황이다.

Korea Herald

a day ago

• Korea Herald

BTS member Suga officially discharged from military service

K-pop group BTS member Suga was discharged from the South Korean military on Saturday, the seventh and final member to complete the country's mandatory national service amid expectations of the band's comeback from a hiatus. Suga finished his military tenure as a social service agent on Saturday with little fanfare as fans looked forward to his reunion with the rest of the band, a K-pop sensation since it started up in 2013. "We confirm that Suga effectively completed his alternative service on June 18 by using his remaining leave. His official discharge date is June 21," BTS' label, Big Hit Music, said in a statement. Unlike with his BTS bandmates, there was no public event planned to mark Suga's release because of overcrowding concerns. The seven members of the group put their global music careers on hold in 2022 to begin their military service, starting with Jin in December that year. South Korea's mandatory national service can be for terms of up to 18 months. Shortly after his official discharge, Suga posted a message on fan community platform Weverse, saying he was "sorry for the disappointment and concern caused by what happened last year", and also apologizing to his bandmates. Last year, Suga was fined 15 million won ($11,500) by a court for drunk driving while on an electric scooter. The group is expected to hold its largest-ever world tour in 2026, an NH Securities entertainment analyst said in a report.