Influencer and entrepreneur Aori (35, real name Kim Min-young), who has 780,000 YouTube subscribers, revealed that her photos were used in a romance scam crime and urged caution.
On the 12th, Aori shared a screenshot of a comment written by a foreign man on her social media (SNS) and wrote, "This is the story of a foreign man who fell victim to a romance scam."
The foreign man in the photo claimed he had been scammed by Aori, leaving comments such as, "You are very skilled at modifying things" and "The doctor will learn the truth about who she is and what she did to me."
The man repeatedly left comments on various SNS posts of Aori's, including Threads and Instagram, stating that he had been scammed by her, appealing for help regarding his victimization.
In response, Aori explained, "He appears on all kinds of SNS and diligently leaves comments every day," adding, "Sometimes there are people who misunderstand and think 'Aori must have committed some kind of fraud.'"
She expressed her grievance, saying, "What is truly unfortunate is that I found out he had received my passport photo. It seems he was thoroughly deceived. Even though I said it wasn't me, he continues to believe that it is definitely me."
According to the conversation content revealed by Aori, the man appears to have received a passport photo in which Aori's picture had been skillfully composited. However, this was not Aori's actual passport.
Additionally, the man reportedly made contact multiple times over the past month, including leaving comments and sending messages to Kim Hyeong-bae, an oriental medicine doctor who is Aori's boyfriend.
Based on the circumstances, it appears the man fell victim to a romance scam in which someone impersonated Aori. Romance scams are a method of credit fraud where perpetrators build up affection or fondness in online spaces such as SNS and dating apps, then exploit this to extort money. Techniques involving video calls and photos manipulated by AI (artificial intelligence) are also used.
Aori urged caution, stating, "AI seems to have developed too much. Let us all be careful of romance scams."
Aori married racer Seo Ju-won, a former contestant on Channel A's dating reality show 'Heart Signal,' in 2018, but divorced in 2022. Recently, she attracted attention by revealing her relationship with Kim Hyeong-bae, an oriental medicine doctor two years older than her.
in ENTERTAINMENT
