Im Young-woong's Agency Warns Against Impersonation Scams

In light of recent scams involving impersonation of celebrities to make restaurant reservations and then failing to show up, Im Young-woong's agency, Fish Music, has issued a warning. On May 16, the agency stated, "There have been instances where individuals have used the names of our artist Im Young-woong and our company to create no-show situations at restaurants, as well as to demand high-end alcohol deliveries and monetary payments." They urged the public to be cautious and not respond to any suspicious communications. The agency clarified, "We do not make restaurant reservations under our name and will never request money transfers, purchases, or alcohol deliveries in any situation." They emphasized that these requests are illegal acts of impersonation, similar to voice phishing schemes, aimed at exploiting the names of celebrities for financial gain. Reports indicate that impersonation scams targeting celebrities and their managers have been on the rise, with scammers ordering large quantities of food or requesting purchases and then disappearing on the agreed day. Some have even shown business cards or provided specific details to deceive restaurant owners. Other celebrities, including Song Ga-in, Sung Si-kyung, Namgoong Min, Byun Woo-seok, Ha Jung-woo, and Park Myung-soo, have also had their names misused in similar scams, prompting their agencies to issue warnings. Additionally, there have been cases of scammers posing as production teams from popular shows like Running Man or as distributors like Lotte Entertainment. One notable incident involved a scammer impersonating the production team of a film featuring actor Kang Dong-won, who ordered approximately 14.6 million won worth of alcohol from a restaurant in Jeonbuk and failed to show up. The restaurant owner reported that the scammer had paid for three bottles of expensive liquor, but the delivery never arrived.