Anna Jiwon Park has been covering the politics at The Korea Times since the summer of 2024, when she joined the press pool for the Office of the President in Korea. Prior to that, she spent about five years reporting extensively on financial markets, regulatory authorities and the financial industry. She joined The Korea Times in 2019 after spending eight years as a broadcast journalist at Arirang TV, Korea’s leading global broadcaster, covering politics, defense and culture.
Fraud against foreigners quadruples in 2 years, with K-pop scams rising
Foreign tourists pose while visiting Myeong-dong,in central Seoul, June 9. Yonhap
By Anna J. Park
As a record number of international visitors flock to Korea on the back of the popularity of Korean culture, crimes targeting foreigners have surged sharply, with K-pop merchandise scams emerging as a growing threat among a broader wave of fraud.
According to latest data submitted by the National Police Agency to Rep. Kim Joon-hwan of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, the number of foreign nationals — whether visitors or residents — who fell victim to fraud in Korea nearly quadrupled over the past two years.
The number of foreign fraud victims rose from 5,307 in 2023 to 8,671 in 2024, before skyrocketing to 19,907 last year.
One of the notable fraud schemes targeting foreigners are scams related to hallyu, or the Korean wave, in which fraudsters approach overseas fans claiming they can purchase and ship merchandise related to K-pop stars or other Korean celebrities. Victims are asked to send money upfront, after which the scammers disappear without delivering the goods.
Such complaints have become increasingly common on social media platforms, particularly X, formerly Twitter, where international K-pop fans frequently buy, sell and trade merchandise. Posts alleging scams linked to Korean merchandise transactions appear regularly, although the nationalities of the perpetrators are often unverified and may not necessarily be Korean.
Fraud has also surfaced around major K-pop events. Authorities said that of five crimes reported against foreign nationals during BTS' shows in Busan on June 12 and 13, three were fraud-related cases.
Overall, the total number of foreign crime victims climbed 81.7 percent in two years, from 28,048 in 2023 to 50,975 last year. Victims of violent crimes increased during this period, including murder cases, which rose from 12 to 20, and rape cases, which increased from 197 to 238. Meanwhile, victims of white-collar crimes such as fraud and embezzlement nearly tripled from 7,475 to 22,215.
"As more foreigners visit Korea because of K-culture and K-beauty, efforts must be strengthened to prevent foreign visitors from becoming victims of crime," Kim said.
Latest statistics show that the number of foreign visitors to Korea reached a record high of 18.94 million in 2025, up 71.7 percent from 11.03 million in 2023.