Impersonation scams targeting fans in their 50s to 70s, posing as singer Lim Young-woong (pictured), have continued for years. Kyunghyang Shinmun file photo

Scams impersonating singer Lim Young-woong to approach middle-aged and older fans have continued for over a year.

Recently on social media (SNS), a user shared the DM their mother received, writing, “My mom is a fan of Lim Young-woong, and some ○ sent this DM (Instagram direct message). At least try if you’re going to fool her.”

According to what the user disclosed, the account calling itself Lim Young-woong said, “Could you donate just $150 (200,000 KRW) for my album recording?” and “If you donate, I’ll give you a chance to meet my colleague Jeong Dong-won.”

They then added, “He’s right next to me now, so I’ll let him say hello first,” followed by, “Hello. JD1! This is your singer Jeong Dong-won. Please help Young-woong a lot,” even playing both parts. They again urged a deposit, saying, “I’ll give you the account number first.”

Those who saw this expressed concern, saying, “People of a certain age might be fooled,” and “I saw a case where someone believed a deep-learning scam video and transferred $52,000 (70,000,000 KRW).”

An impersonation scam demanding a deposit while posing as Lim Young-woong. Online community screenshot

Lim Young-woong impersonation crimes have continued, and the methods have evolved step by step. In the first half of 2025, the main tactics were restaurant no-shows by people impersonating his agency or manager and demands for advance payment for alcohol, but from the second half, DM cases demanding money from individual fans were reported in succession.

In 2026, deepfake impersonation that combines AI (artificial intelligence) voice cloning with real-time face synthesis spread across the entertainment industry. In early 2024, an AI-simulated ‘Lim Young-woong hymn’ video was also misused for voice phishing.

Lim Young-woong’s core fan base is primarily women in their 50s to 70s. Analysts say criminals are repeatedly exploiting the fact that this core fan base comes from a generation with relatively weak digital literacy.

Investigative authorities also acknowledge limitations, as most impersonation accounts route through overseas servers, making domestic tracking difficult. Mulgogi Music has urged, “If you receive contact suspected to be an impersonation, do not respond under any circumstances and exercise special caution.”