"I Hate Dog Meat and Skate, Love Pizza" ... "Let's Meet" Frenzy Over Beautiful 41-Year-Old Nurse, But There's a Twist

On SNS accounts suspected of featuring AI-generated images,
users ask to meet and disclose personal information
Concerns grow over their potential use in romance scams

As photos of women that appear to have been generated using artificial intelligence (AI) and social media (SNS) accounts featuring personal stories continue to emerge, concerns are growing that they could be exploited for romance scams.

A photo of a woman that appears to have been generated by AI, along with a social media post using the image. Screenshot from an online community.

On October 9, posts appeared on several online communities saying that some users were leaving their personal information on SNS accounts featuring photos of women that appeared to be AI-generated and personal stories, seemingly believing the women were real.

One SNS account described its owner as a "41-year-old nurse living in Pohang" and listed lifestyle details, such as working rotating three-shift schedules, and food preferences. Other accounts posted stories about preparing for a fresh start after cancer surgery, saying "Divorce is not a misfortune but a salvation," or enjoying hiking ahead of their 46th birthday.

However, all of these images showed awkward features commonly seen in AI-generated pictures. The depictions of skin and faces were excessively smooth, poses were unnatural, and in some photos, text or objects appeared blurry or distorted.

A photo of a woman that appears to have been generated by AI, alongside social media posts featuring the image. Screenshot from an online community.

Yet in the comments on these accounts' posts, some users appeared to take the women in the photos for real people and disclosed their age, place of residence, and occupation. Some commented, "Let's meet in person" or "Please check your DM (direct message)," while others posted photos of their own faces.

As AI technology advances, online scams using AI are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Experts are concerned not so much about AI-generated images themselves as about their potential use in romance scams, in which scammers build emotional bonds with victims before stealing their money.

A report titled "Analysis of Trends in New Types of Scams Exploiting Generative AI," recently published in August 2026 by the Korea Financial Consumer Protection Foundation, found that related losses had surged as AI technology rapidly evolved into a tool for scams, including phishing, romance scams (dating scams), and investment fraud, both in South Korea and abroad.

In particular, according to figures on romance scam reports for 2024-2025 compiled by the National Police Agency in February 2026, the number of reports in 2025 rose 73.3% to 2,192 from 1,265 in 2024. The amount of money lost grew 2.01-fold, from KRW 67.5 billion to KRW 136 billion.

Like other crimes, romance scams are often carried out by international criminal organizations, and investigations and arrests are difficult because the money is laundered through virtual assets or overseas accounts. Accordingly, prevention before these crimes occur is considered the best response.

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