[Sportschosun reporter Jang Jong-ho] A so-called romance scam is a crime in which scammers use fake identities online to manipulate victims' emotions and extort money. Recent cases show that the scale of damage and the social impact are growing larger.
A 99-year-old Taiwanese man also narrowly avoided becoming a victim after bank employees and police stepped in when he tried to transfer about 200 million won to a woman he met online, drawing renewed attention to romance scams.
According to Taiwan's TVBS, a man surnamed Zhou, who is 99 this year, recently tried to send 4 million Taiwan dollars, or about 190 million won, to a woman he met online, but bank employees stopped the transaction.
He had recently been contacted by a woman through Social Network Service (SNS). She used a profile with attractive photos.
The two exchanged messages every day for several weeks and grew close. In the end, their relationship developed online as if they were a real couple.
The woman later persuaded Zhou to buy a home together and prepare for the future. He reportedly sold even the stocks he owned after she suggested they make plans to spend their later years together.
Zhou then visited a bank and tried to transfer 4 million Taiwan dollars to the account the woman had given him.
However, bank employees found the transaction suspicious, stopped it, and called the police.
The responding officers explained to Zhou that similar cases had recently occurred and tried to convince him that it was a typical romance scam.
Zhou, however, did not believe the police. He said he believed that sending the money would win the woman's heart and eventually lead to marriage. After repeated persuasion from the police, Zhou finally changed his mind and said he would not make the transfer.
Jang Jong-ho, bellho@sportschosun.com
