Rise in 'Romance Scam' Victimization Targeting Middle-Aged Men

Victimization from romance scams targeting middle-aged men living alone is on the rise.

The methods of deception are evolving day by day.

According to a report from TV Chosun on the 28th, there has been an increase in cases of romance scam where perpetrators lure victims with promises of dates with women, only to later extort large sums of money under the pretense of issuing a 'membership card.'

A 60-year-old man, Mr. A, who has lived alone for 19 years, contacted a matchmaking company after seeing an advertisement on social media. The company tricked Mr. A into believing that "to receive a membership card, he must complete a cash deposit mission designated by the company, and only with this card can he meet women in person."

Mr. A explained his situation at the time, saying, "All the women have membership cards. (I also) need to make a membership card to meet her."

This cash deposit mission was a meticulous scam designed to extort money from the very beginning. Initially, when Mr. A deposited 50,000 won into the fraudster's account, he received back 58,000 won, which built trust. However, as the stages of the mission escalated, the deposit amounts grew larger, eventually leading to the absurd demand that "due to Mr. A's mistake, company data has been damaged, so he must pay for recovery." In this process, Mr. A lost over 8 million won to the scammers.

Increase in Similar Cases and Challenges in Response

Mr. A's case is not an isolated incident. Another victim, Mr. B, also in his 60s, lost a staggering 55 million won to four different romance scam organizations using similar tactics.

In an interview with TV Chosun, Mr. B shared his experience, stating, "I only communicated through Telegram, but to me, those women do not seem like real people."

The police have begun investigations after receiving reports of these scams, but many of the perpetrators are located overseas, making it difficult to identify them.

Meanwhile, the police have started to separately tally 'romance scam' incidents since last year, and it has been reported that in 2024 alone, there have been 1,254 reports with losses amounting to 67.5 billion won.

Naver TV 'TV Chosun News'

Image Source: tv chosun, data photo for better understanding of the article / gettyimagesbank