What happened

The Ulsan Metropolitan Police Agency arrested 10 suspects and booked another 35 in connection with a sophisticated scam that targeted over 100 individuals. 

Operating from Cambodia, the group used deepfake technology to create convincing images and video calls of attractive women in their 30s, constructed from randomly sourced photos of real people. 

The scammers posed as romantic partners on chat apps and social media building trust with elaborate personal profiles and scripts. Once trust was established, victims were manipulated into sending money for fabricated expenses or lured into fraudulent investment schemes, with funds ultimately funneled into shell accounts and cryptocurrency wallets.

Victims included people with disabilities, the elderly, and homemakers, with individual losses ranging from 2 million to over 800 million won. Some scammers also posed as men to defraud female victims.

Why it happened

The scam was enabled by advances in deepfake technology, which allowed the perpetrators to convincingly impersonate individuals in real-time video calls and online interactions.