”Hello, beautiful”... If you think it's love, it's the beginning of a scam = Korea

In Korea, the types and methods of fraud are gradually becoming more sophisticated, and the number of victims is increasing accordingly. However, their crimes are based on a certain "scenario."
Even if there are differences, if you understand this scenario, you can deal with it. Therefore, E-Daily, with the cooperation of law enforcement agencies, will share the scenarios of phishing scams that plague citizens.
Song Min-ji (not her real name) is an ordinary office worker in her 30s who regularly uses social networking sites such as Facebook and Instagram.
As he was checking his Instagram DMs, he saw a chat request from a white male's profile. Out of curiosity, Song started a conversation.
The man said, "Hello, beautiful." Song thought, "Maybe he's interested in Korea," so he replied, "Hi."
As the chat continued, Song checked out the man's profile, which listed him as "US Army."
The profile contains photos of the man in his daily life, including landscapes and military uniforms.
There were many photos of real people. Although the photos were a little strange, Song didn't pay it much attention, saying, "It's only natural, since they're foreigners." The chat continued, and the man introduced himself as "Robert
He introduced himself as "Robert" and said he was a US soldier currently deployed to Iraq. He said he felt very lonely and that he had seen Song's Instagram and liked her so much that he contacted her.
Song wondered, "Why did they choose my account when there are as many people as there are stars in the sky?" but her curiosity and excitement at having a conversation in English with a foreigner outweighed that question.
Robert complained that military life was too harsh and that he wanted to leave the area where he was deployed. He also said that he wanted to see his family back in the U.S. Mr. Song sympathized with Robert's story and took him to
Gradually, the two became closer and started calling each other "honey." Although their relationship was online, after more than 10 days of communication, their relationship became a romantic one.
The relationship developed into one that ended in a 10-minute conversation. Song was eager to meet Robert in person. She repeatedly offered to call or video chat with him, but Robert would not let her go, saying he was at a military facility or on duty.
However, Robert repeatedly said, "I want to go to Korea and start a new life with you," and Mr. Song became convinced that Robert loved him.
One day, Robert informed Mr. Song that he had received special permission to take a vacation. Mr. Song was delighted, but Robert said, "I have one request."
"According to U.S. military regulations, I have to pay customs fees and security fees to board a civilian aircraft. However, because I am a military personnel and I am in an area where it is difficult to do business,
"It's difficult for me to send money to the outside. Can you send it to me instead?" Robert asked Song for about 3 million won (about 300,000 yen). Although it was a relatively large amount, Song
For a moment, she hesitated. But Robert's explanation was persuasive, and she was moved by his words, "If you go to Korea, we can live together." Ms. Song said, "It's okay if it's around 3 million won. It's not a scam.
If it was a scam, they would have asked for a larger amount," he thought, and without hesitation, he transferred the money to the account Robert specified. Robert thanked him, saying, "You're the only one I can find," and Mr. Song also
The message satisfied her. Song began to believe that she was Robert's fiancée. She took her relationship with Robert seriously and "planned to get married soon."
After that, Robert suddenly said, "I'm sending you all my assets," and told me that he was sending a bag full of cash and valuables to Korea. Soon after, he received a message from the courier company saying, "B
The group arrived in Incheon. Customs and security fees will require several million won. Robert said, "I will return the money when I get to Korea. Please accept it for our future.
"Give me the money," he said to Mr. Song. When Robert emphasized that it was for the future, Mr. Song's feelings wavered again. Mr. Song decided to send the money again.
Mr. Song was counting down the days until he could meet Robert.
All communication was cut off. His Instagram account was also deleted. Mr. Song was worried that Robert had been deployed on a sudden mission or had moved to another country and was unable to be contacted.
While searching for similar cases, Song began to realize that he may have been the victim of a "romance scam."
Finally, Mr. Song realized that he had never even heard Robert's voice, and that he had no contact information other than through social media.
He realized that he had no rank at all. Even more than the financial loss, Song was still unable to recover from the psychological shock.