AI Era: South Korean Police Warn Against Romance Scams

South Korean police have warned that with the continuous advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, the proliferation of deepfake videos and audio is increasing. Romance scams in South Korea are rising steadily, employing more concealed and complex methods. The police urge the public to heighten their vigilance to avoid being deceived.

According to a report on the 23rd by South Korea's JoongAng Ilbo, data obtained by a lawmaker from the main opposition People Power Party from the Korean National Police Agency shows that from February 2024 to July 2025, South Korean police received a total of 2,428 reports of romance scams, involving total financial losses of 138 billion won (approximately 670 million RMB). Compared to the same period from 2023 to 2024, the number of reported romance scams increased by 34.7%, and the total financial loss increased by 30.2%.

Park Mi-rang (phonetic translation), a professor of Police Science at Hannam University, stated that despite continuous anti-fraud campaigns by the police and government departments, many people still find it difficult to detect romance scams. "Some victims view such experiences merely as emotional setbacks rather than fraud, and thus choose not to report the incident after suffering losses," meaning the actual number of cases is likely much higher than official statistics indicate.

Park Mi-rang cautioned that as scam tactics evolve, elderly people are particularly vulnerable to becoming victims of online fraud. Relevant authorities should strengthen publicity and education targeted at the elderly population.

On the 6th of this month, a police officer on patrol in Gangdong District, Seoul, noticed a man looking dazed while walking and using his phone. The officer approached him to inquire. The man revealed to the police that two months ago, he met a "woman living overseas" through a mobile chat application. They quickly "developed mutual affection," and recently, the woman requested him to transfer 20 million won (approximately 96,000 RMB) for travel expenses under the pretext of coming to South Korea to meet him. Recognizing this as a typical romance scam tactic, the police immediately intervened and successfully prevented the man from making the transfer.