There have been a series of fraud cases where individuals impersonated employees of singer Nam-jin's agency to make group reservations at restaurants and then disappeared.
The agency, Luce Entertainment, stated on its official website on the 12th, “We are addressing the issue of false reservation calls related to voice phishing at restaurants,” and added, “Not only our agency but many celebrities are being exploited in these restaurant reservation voice phishing crimes.”
The agency urged, “The reservation call claiming that Nam-jin will have an after-party following his concert in Changwon on May 10 is a voice phishing crime, and we hope that restaurant staff who received such calls recognize it as voice phishing and avoid any damage.”
They emphasized, “Nam-jin has no after-party planned following the concert.”
According to the agency and others, on the 8th, Mr. A, a man in his 40s who runs a meat restaurant in Jungang-dong, Seongsan-gu, Changwon, received a reservation call stating, “We are having an after-party for Nam-jin's 60th anniversary concert.” The caller, Mr. B, introduced himself as an employee of the agency and said, “Due to company policy, I cannot deposit the reservation fee immediately, but I will pay on the day of use.”
As a result, Mr. A reportedly prepared food, a congratulatory bouquet for Nam-jin, and posters with his staff. Mr. B also requested expensive alcohol, which Mr. A refused, citing that it was not part of the restaurant's offerings. However, Mr. B provided a contact for a liquor company and asked Mr. A to prepare the alcohol in advance, promising to pay later. Believing Mr. B's words of “I will definitely go,” Mr. A paid about 4.7 million won for the alcohol.
However, on the day of the reservation, Mr. B sent a text message saying, “Something came up, so we are canceling the gathering,” and then cut off contact. As a result, Mr. A reportedly did not receive a refund for the alcohol.
In addition, it has been reported that there were multiple cases of impersonation of 'Nam-jin agency employees' in the Changwon area of Gyeongnam.
According to the Changwon Central Police Station, as of the 11th, three cases of fraud related to this matter have been reported. The police are investigating, believing there may be more victims, in order to prevent further damage.
Nam-jin is currently on his 60th anniversary concert tour, '2025 Nam-jin Nationwide Tour', which started at the Samsung Cultural Center at Jeonbuk National University in March. This tour will take place in Seoul, Gwangmyeong, Jeju, Daejeon, Gangwon, Busan, and other locations.
[Ji Seung-hoon, Star Today Reporter]
