No-show scam by someone claiming to be a production staff member of a popular variety show... 7.2 million won in damages (Korea)

Police have launched an investigation into a fraud case worth 7.2 million won (approximately 750,000 yen) involving a man posing as a production staff member of a popular variety show.
According to News 1 on the 28th, a restaurant in Gochang, North Jeolla Province
On the 23rd of this month, I received a call saying, "I'd like to make a reservation for a group of 24 people for 6:30 p.m." The person who made the reservation introduced themselves as a member of the production team for the MBC variety show "I Live Alone."
After sending his business card by message, he called again at around 3 p.m. on the same day. The person who made the reservation requested, "Please prepare two bottles of high-quality wine for celebrity Narae Park to drink."
The wine was a 1995 vintage of "Golden Time Clos d'Ambonnay," which costs several million won per bottle. The person who made the reservation was then introduced to a liquor manufacturer called "Golden Time" and guided them through the payment process.
The liquor manufacturer explained that each bottle costs 4.2 million won (approximately US$440,000), but if payment was made in cash, they would offer a 10% discount, selling them for 3.6 million won (approximately US$370,000).
The restaurant staff believed him and decided to pay for two bottles of wine in cash, then transferred 7.2 million won to the bank account.
The ordered wine never arrived at the restaurant, and the person who made the reservation called 30 minutes before the reservation time, saying, "I'm in Gimje now and will be there shortly," and then the last contact was lost.
The restaurant staff, who realized it was a no-show scam, reported it to the police. The restaurant staff said, "We had been suspicious for a long time, but we knew that customers usually drink alcohol.
"I thought something was suspicious, so I looked into the alcohol manufacturer Golden Time and found out that they were a producer of popular variety shows," he said.
"When I searched for it, I couldn't find it," said a police official. "Recently, similar incidents have been occurring frequently across the country. When we traced the phone, many of the cases were overseas.
It is extremely difficult to identify the perpetrators, but special caution is needed to prevent further damage."