Fake BTS Jimin romance scams 68-year-old Brazilian woman out of $50,000

A 68-year-old retired woman in São Paulo lost an estimated R$300,000 (roughly US$52,000–56,000 at recent exchange rates) to a scammer posing online as Jimin of BTS. The case was first reported by Diario de Pernambuco, a daily newspaper based in Recife, and republished earlier in November by Imirante, the news site.

What happened

Citing police records, the report says the woman was in online contact with the impostor for about four months. Over that time he sent affectionate messages, presented the exchange as a close relationship and promised to send her expensive gifts.

The scammer then claimed the gifts were held up in Brazilian customs and demanded that she pay customs fees to release them. She made several payments and took out bank loans to cover them, the outlet reported.

After realising she had been deceived, she blocked the profile and reported the case. São Paulo's Civil Police are investigating with the aim of tracing and dismantling the network behind the scam, according to the same report.

The published reports do not name the victim, the platform the scammer used, or what specific gifts were promised. There is no indication that Jimin or his agency had any connection to the account.

A wider pattern in Brazil

The case fits a known problem. Brazil has one of Latin America's largest K-pop fan communities, and scammers have increasingly targeted those fans, the South China Morning Post reported.

In February 2026, South Korean and Brazilian police agreed their first formal cooperation framework, The Korea Herald reported via Asia News Network. Brazilian authorities had flagged cases involving fake Korean travel packages, counterfeit K-pop merchandise and online romance scams.

Celebrity impersonation in Brazil is not limited to K-pop. A Korean drama fan in Brazil was previously targeted by someone posing as actor Park Bo-gum, Asia Economy reported, and a 69-year-old woman near Brasília was defrauded by a scammer posing as Elon Musk, according to The Daily Beast.

The case surfaced days after BTS played three shows in São Paulo on 28, 30 and 31 October, Diario del Sur reported. The reports do not say when the scam began relative to the tour.