"Want Limited-Edition Goods? I'll Buy Them for You" Scams Target Foreigners as K-pop Fraud Surges

Frequent Scams on SNS and Secondhand Platforms
Need for Support Systems for Foreign Victims

It has been found that scams targeting foreign fans visiting Korea to attend K-pop concerts and similar events are rapidly increasing. With a growing number of crimes involving the sale of popular idol concert tickets and limited-edition merchandise as bait, the number of foreign victims is also rising fast.

According to Yonhap News on June 21, citing data submitted to the National Police Agency by Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Junhwan, the number of foreigners victimized by fraud in Korea has nearly quadrupled over the past two years.

In particular, there have been steady reports of victims related to K-pop concert ticket transactions, fan meeting passes, and limited-edition merchandise sales. Criminals are said to post fake sale listings on social networking services (SNS), online communities, and secondhand trading platforms, collect money, and then disappear without delivering the promised goods.

Foreign visitors who came to Asiad Main Stadium in Dongnae District, Busan to watch BTS's performance. Unrelated to the article. Yonhap News.

In practice, there are repeated cases where sold-out concert tickets for popular groups are resold at prices higher than face value, or where scammers approach with offers to purchase official merchandise on behalf of buyers and then cut off contact. In some cases, victims are deceived using forged mobile tickets or fake reservation confirmations.

The problem is that foreign fans are often unfamiliar with Korea’s ticketing systems and transaction practices. Difficulties with the Korean language and lack of experience with local platforms make it hard for them to judge whether an offer is legitimate. It has also been reported that many do not know how to report such crimes after being victimized, so they are unable to respond effectively.

As K-pop’s global popularity rises, industry insiders express concern that related scams are also likely to increase. In fact, it is easy to find posts on international online communities sharing experiences of falling victim to scams involving concert ticket transactions or merchandise purchases.

Experts point out that as the K-pop industry becomes a key pillar of Korea’s tourism competitiveness, it is also necessary to strengthen protective measures for foreign fans. They emphasize the need to expand multilingual scam prevention information, for concert organizers and ticketing platforms to actively promote official purchasing channels, and to establish support systems that make it easy for foreign victims to file reports.

Lawmaker Kim stressed, “As the number of foreigners visiting Korea for K-culture, K-beauty, and similar attractions increases, we must take proactive measures to prevent foreign visitors from falling victim to crime.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.