Singer Lim Young-woong has also fallen victim. Numerous celebrities, including actors Byun Woo-seok, Namgoong Min, Ha Jung-woo, and comedian Lee Sugeun, have been affected by 'no-show' scams, highlighting a serious issue as additional cases of victimization emerge.
On the 16th, Lim Young-woong's agency, Fish Music, stated, "Recently, there have been cases where someone has impersonated our company and artist Lim Young-woong's name to cause no-show damages under the pretext of restaurant reservations or to demand high-end liquor delivery and money."
They also noted, "This is a new type of scam that resembles voice phishing, using the names of celebrities and their agencies to pursue monetary gain," and emphasized, "Fish Music does not conduct restaurant reservations externally under our name and does not request money transfers, product purchases, or liquor deliveries in any case. We inform you that such requests are all illegal actions due to impersonation," they urged. Additionally, they requested that if anyone receives suspicious contacts, they should not respond and to be especially cautious to prevent similar damages.
It's not just Lim Young-woong. Byun Woo-seok has also been affected. Byun Woo-seok's agency, Baro Entertainment, recently warned of fraudulent activities where someone impersonated their employees to gain financial benefits. The impersonator poses as a manager of the affiliated celebrities, approaches small business owners and companies, and demands prepayment for specific products (mainly wine) under the pretext of gatherings, and then cuts off contact unilaterally once preparations are made, causing victimization through 'no-show' tactics. The agency emphasized, "If any damage occurs, please report it to the police immediately."
Singer Song Ga-in's agency, Jay Entertainment, recently revealed that there has been a 'proxy purchasing' scam where someone impersonated their employee to illegally obtain money. The impersonator, posing as Song Ga-in's manager, approached small business owners under the pretext of gatherings and reportedly requested, "If you prepare the wine in advance, we will settle it together during the gathering." The agency stated, "In no case does our staff request money or product purchases from outside," urging, "If you receive similar requests, do not transfer money or respond, and please verify that it is indeed our employee."
Namgoong Min's agency, 935 Entertainment, has warned of fraudulent activities where someone is impersonating its employees to gain financial benefits. The impersonator has been confirmed to have approached small business owners, posing as the manager of the affiliated celebrity, requesting large orders from various restaurants and wine vendors under the pretext of gatherings, only to 'no-show' later. The agency stated, "Neither our employees nor associates request money transfers or product purchases from outside in any case," and requested that if anyone receives a similar request, they should not transfer money or respond and to report any victimization to the police immediately.
Workhouse Company, to which Ha Jung-woo belongs, recently disclosed that it received reports of someone impersonating staff from the production company of the project featuring its actors, requesting restaurant reservations and prepayments for high-end liquor purchases. The agency stated, "Neither our artists, agency, production company, nor any related staff will ever make such financial demands," urging, "Please be especially cautious to prevent any damages." They added, "We are currently verifying the above contents closely and are preparing to respond for legal action."
On the 13th, Lee Sugeun's agency, Big Planet Made, issued an official press release urging caution, stating, "Recently, there has been a fraudulent activity where someone impersonated broadcaster Lee Su-geun's manager to obtain financial benefits."
According to the agency, the impersonator claimed to be associated with Big Planet Made and even used a forged business card, attempting to implement an 'entertainer impersonation no-show' scheme by reserving high-priced wine (valued at approximately 4 million won) at several restaurants in the Ulsan area.
The agency stated, "This behavior is a very serious illegal act, and there is a possibility of additional similar cases occurring, necessitating special caution," and said, "We plan to take strong measures, including legal action against impersonation and fraud cases." They continued, "Your reports and cooperation are of great help," requesting continuous attention to preventing similar damages.
[Photo] OSEN DB
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