In Brazil, authorities have called for caution due to a case of a Park Bo Gum imposter asking fans for money.
According to the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Sao Paulo on September 19th (local time), Angela, a Brazilian woman living in Sao Paulo, suffered a large amount of fraud from a man who impersonated actor Park Bo Gum on September 9th.
Angela, who is a fan of Korean dramas and Hallyu culture, recently exchanged messages on Instagram with a man who introduced himself as Park Bo Gum. He told Angela, “I’m going to Brazil to see you. Since it is difficult to go through complicated procedures to use my agency’s expenses, if you send me 50,000 reals (about 13.41 million won) in advance, I will pay you back later.”
Angela then sent the requested money to the imposter without any doubts. However, after that, she lost contact with him.
After receiving the report, the Brazilian authorities found out that it was a crime committed by a local man impersonating a Korean celebrity. The consulate-general said, “Most people who pretend to be famous celebrities on social media are scammers. If you find them suspicious, please report to the police or contact the embassy or consulate general.”
According to the consulate general, there have been 6-7 additional reports of similar fraud. However, in other cases, the victims, fortunately, did not actually send any money. The Brazilian police are currently tracking down the scammer who impersonated Park Bo Gum.
Source: Chosun
