On Monday afternoon, a representative from Yoo’s agency stated that they are taking all necessary legal measures in response to false advertisements and fake SNS accounts. These actions are being taken due to the sale of diet products on SNS platforms that falsely claim to be associated with Yoo. Not only is it unauthorized and unethical to use Yoo’s name for marketing, but these products also contain the phrase “Yoo Jae-seok’s model”and even feature a photo of Yoo, despite having no connection to him.
Previously, Yoo Jae-seok joined a group known as the “Famous Impersonation Online Phishing Crime Group”(referred to as “Yoo Sang-mo”for short), which was founded by instructor Kim Mi-kyung, Sogang University professor Kim Young-ik, Doty (a YouTuber), Jon-ri (former CEO of Meritz Asset Management), Joo Jin-hyung (former CEO of Hanwha Investment & Securities), and Hwang Hyun-hee. This decision was made due to the recurrence of similar incidents in the past.
Song Eun-i revealed, “My journey began with a single picture. It was a peculiar photo I shared on social media, featuring a book and a guest. I was immediately intrigued and asked myself, ‘What is this?’ Little did I know, this innocent curiosity would lead me down a path of deception as countless others have also reported feeling like they were being duped by deepfakes.”
Furthermore, Hong Jin-kyung has consistently shared messages urging individuals to refrain from impersonating others and alerting the public about the serious offense of celebrity impersonation. Just last month, she expressed concern on her social media platform, stating, “It has been quiet for some time, but scams are resurfacing. Please do not fall for them. I am not involved in any economic or stock-related matters. If you come across such fraudulent activities, please report them. Someone needs to apprehend these scammers.”In a particular outburst, she expressed her frustration, stating, “These scammers are taking advantage of my past illness and even using my daughter’s image.”
Park Myung-soo commented on the fake account, stating that it is uncommon for celebrities to request for someone to call and borrow money, but there have been instances where individuals have asked to borrow money from them. He emphasized the importance of not falling victim to such deceitful requests.
In the past year, there has been a rapid increase in fraudulent crimes where perpetrators impersonate celebrities and post misleading advertisements on reputable platforms to deceive victims. Yoo Jae-seok’s agency also made an official announcement on their social media platforms on the same day, stating, “Due to the rising number of fake and exaggerated advertisements and impersonation accounts on social media, our company is pursuing legal action.”
“He urged individuals to be cautious of misleading advertisements promoting the use of artist portraits without consent, and encouraged them to report any related posts or accounts. He also assured that Antenna will remain dedicated to safeguarding the rights of artists in the future.”
According to the National Police Agency’s records, during the period of September to December last year, there were over 1,000 reported cases of illegal activities at investment reading rooms, including celebrity impersonation fraud. These incidents resulted in damages totaling more than 120 billion won. It is estimated that the total amount of damages suffered by the victims is in excess of 1 trillion won.
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