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Police, bank teller stop woman from sending 27 million won to 'boyfriend' in romance scam

Published: 15 Sep. 2025, 12:18

A police logo [YONHAP]

A woman in her 70s nearly lost 27 million won ($19,400) to a romance scammer posing as a U.S. soldier, but a quick-thinking bank teller and police officers intervened in time, police said on Sunday.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s Mobile Patrol Division received a call around 9 a.m. on Sept. 8 from a bank in Geumcheon District, southern Seoul, after a teller suspected that the customer attempting to wire money overseas was being defrauded.

The woman had recently exchanged messages on social media with a scammer who claimed he was about to retire from the U.S. military. He told her he wanted to come to Korea to marry her and repeatedly asked for money to cover shipping and travel expenses.

Living alone, she went to the bank to transfer the funds. But the teller noticed her unusual behavior and alerted police, suspecting criminal activity.

Officers who arrived quickly determined that she was being targeted in a romance scam. She refused to accept the situation, saying, "Why are you interfering when I want to send my money to my boyfriend?"

Police then spent about three hours explaining how romance scams work and showing examples of similar cases. They ultimately persuaded her not to send the money.

Romance scams involve building trust with victims over weeks or months through online communication, then requesting money under false pretenses such as investments, shipping fees or personal emergencies.

"Because we maintained close cooperation with financial institutions through active foot patrols, we were able to block the crime at an early stage," a Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency official said. "Some scammers impersonate foreigners to establish trust and then demand payments for investments or shipping fees."

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JANG GU-SEUL [[email protected]]