{
  "id": 8152678,
  "title": "'He chose me as his spouse': Fan loses $23,700 to fake Lee Dong-wook",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/he-chose-me-as-his-spouse-fan-loses-23-700-to-fake-lee-dong-wook",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-18T02:42:05.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/entertainment/20260918/he-chose-me-as-his-spouse-fan-loses-23700-to-fake-lee-dong-wook"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A romance scam targeting the name and likeness of South Korean actor Lee Dong-wook has left a fan of hers financially devastated, raising public concern and prompting her management agency to take action. In a segment on SBS's News Hunters, the victim, a woman in her late 30s, recounted how she fell victim to the scam over the course of eight months. She exchanged private messages with someone claiming to be Lee Dong-wook, believing they were in a romantic relationship. The impostor groomed her through social media, gradually professing his love and discussing the possibility of visiting her parents and arranging a meeting of their families. The victim even used affectionate terms like \"oppa\" (an affectionate Korean term for an older male) and \"honey\" in her interactions with the scammer. Despite eight months of relationship, the two never met in person or spoke by phone - the victim's loss amounted to 35 million won, or $23,700, that she has yet to recover.",
  "summary": "A romance scam exploiting the name and likeness of actor Lee Dong-wook has defrauded a fan of tens of millions of won, stirring widespread public dismay and prompting his management agency to intervene to prevent further victimization. Appearing on SBS's \"News Hunters\" in a broadcast on Wednesday, a woman in her late 30s said she exchanged private messages for about eight months with an…",
  "key_points": [
    "Woman in her late 30s lost $23,700 to romance scam",
    "Impostor pretended to be South Korean actor Lee Dong-wook",
    "Victim's management agency taking action against scam"
  ],
  "editors_take": "This case highlights the financial and emotional risks of romance scams, where impersonators exploit fans' adoration of celebrities to build false relationships and extort money, leaving victims like this woman with significant losses.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "'He chose me as his spouse': Fan loses $23,700 to fake Lee Dong-wook",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/he-chose-me-as-his-spouse-fan-loses-23-700-to-fake-lee-dong-wook-8154713",
        "published": "2026-09-18T02:52:03.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}