The victim began communicating with a woman from Japan through a dating app, and their communication lasted for 46 days. Believing in the seriousness of his acquaintance's feelings, he promised to marry her. Then the woman informed him that they needed to prepare financially for the wedding, so she convinced him to deposit money on a cryptocurrency platform that she used herself. At first, the man was reluctant to do this due to a lack of knowledge about digital assets, but fearing the loss of his beloved, he agreed to invest 200,000 won (approximately $145).
Having confirmed the profitability of his investments and the possibility of withdrawing funds, the Korean man began to trust his acquaintance more. Inspired by his success, he continued to invest, totaling $77,400. Later, the woman demanded additional payments from him, claiming that the profits were subject to a daily tax of 5%. When the man said he could no longer send money, the scammers ceased communication with him and disappeared.
The Financial Supervisory Service of the Republic of Korea (FSS) warned that romantic scams are particularly dangerous, as victims find it difficult to refuse requests from someone they are attracted to and believe they have established a relationship with. Consequently, the deceived are left with significant financial losses. The regulator cautioned that scammers often pose as foreigners planning to visit Korea, express affection, and send links to cryptocurrency exchanges, convincing potential victims that they have successful investment experience. If someone sends such links through dating apps or social networks, it may be a scam.
In May, the FSC tightened the rules for conducting transactions with crypto assets for non-profit organizations to reduce the risk of illegal activities and money laundering. Earlier, South Korean authorities expressed their readiness to introduce stricter requirements for virtual asset service providers (VASP).
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