'Fake' Squid Game star Lee Jung-jae scams woman out of $350K

Move over, Netflix plot twists—real life can be just as wild. A woman in her 50s, Ms. A, recently found herself caught in a romance scam involving none other than… an impersonator of Squid Game star Lee Jung Jae. And yes, it cost her a500 million KRW (about $350,000).

According to JTBC (October 21 KST), Ms. A first met the 'actor' on social media. He claimed he wanted to 'communicate with fans,' charming her with AI-generated selfies from “the airport” and a forged ID card, insisting he was filming Squid Game 3.

The scammer dialed up the romance, calling Ms. A 'honey' and “darling,” before introducing an accomplice posing as a business executive. This “executive” promised a private meeting with Lee Jung Jae—for a mere 6 million KRW. Over six months, the duo continued spinning lies and racking up payments, eventually netting half a million USD.

“I truly believed he was the real Lee Jung Jae. Looking back, I feel so foolish,” Ms. A admitted.

Miryang Police in Gyeongnam Province are investigating, with suspicions pointing toward a Cambodian crime network. Even as the probe unfolded, the scammer kept messaging, pleading, “Please trust me.”