Outlaw! The Deepfake scandal that uses IU, Lee Honey and Ahn Sohee for gambling scams

Hello my crazy for Korea! Today we do not bring you cheerful news. We have to talk about a very serious issue and that, as fans, fills us with rage: the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and Deepfakes to scam people using the image of our idols Favorites.

The last victim of this horrible practice is nothing less than IU (Lee Ji-Eun). A scandal just broke out Chorea Because the image of the singer and actress is being used mercilessly in fraudulent advertisements for illegal betting sites.

Here we tell you everything we know, based on the investigation of Korean media and the images that are circulating.

IU’s “Deepfake” scam: “I won 17 million won?”

The November 7, Korean users on Instagram began to report that, while viewing stories, an advertisement video starring IU.

But of course, it wasn’t her. Was a Deepfake Created with ia.

As we can see in the images, the ia of IU appears in a car, holding a tablet that shows a gain of 17,000,154 KRW (about $12,000).

To make it more ‘credible’, the false IU It says phrases like:

‘I’m tired of comments likeChicken Road is a scam. You can’t make money here‘.
‘I just won 17 million won while talking‘.
‘Look, it’s real. Even I find it hard to believe‘.

Fraudulent video even promoted fake bonuses, saying: ‘If you open the Chicken Road app now, new users can receive up to 3 million bonus won immediately‘To avoid being discovered, the video had the Comments disabled And it was marked asAdvertising. When searching for the Instagram account that patterned the ad, it no longer existed.

Not only IU: Lee Honey and Ahn Sohee are also victims of the deepfake

This betting site did not stop with IU. As we see in the other images, this network of scammers has used the same tactic with other great stars.

Read Honey: They used a Deepfake of the acclaimed actress exclaiming: ‘20 million won in 15 minutes? It can’t be! Well!‘. Lee Honey’s AI even made up a story: ‘In a movie premiere, I saw people using certain apps, so I tried it‘and’I won the jackpot on lucky roulette‘.
Ahn Sohee: Days later, a Deepfake of the former member of Wonder Girls saying: ‘I won over 25 million won with this app, but still don’t believe me‘.the false Sohee He stated: ‘I bought a Benz with that. Download it and get your bonus‘.

In the case of the announcement of Read Honey, this appeared as a post (not a story), so the fans were able to react and They tagged their agency and to your personal account to alert you to the scam.

Estafas Deepfake con delebridades — Lee Honey, Ahn Sohee

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“It’s illegal!”: The fury of Korean Netizens

As we can see in the screenshots of the comments of the Korean community, people are furious and, luckily, did not fall into the trap.

Fans are denouncing the situation with comments like:

‘This has to appear in the news;’
‘Isn’t false advertising illegal? This type of ad is serious. It’s an infringement of image rights without consent.’
‘It’s so obviously fake.’
‘But you really aren’t aware? Use a deepfake…?’
‘The problem is Instagram, which allows them to put these ads.’

What are the legal consequences of this?

This type of scam is a serious crime. Use ia To disseminate false information may carry criminal and civil liability.

If the content defames a person, it can lead to Up to 7 years in prison or fines up to 50 million won (about 36,000 dollars) according to the Korea Information and Communications Law.

It’s an outrageous situation! These criminal companies not only steal the image of the artists, but also try to scam their fans, be aware of technological advances and their capabilities, help to better discern whether what we have in front of us is true or not. Younger fans may fall less into these traps, but people over 50 may find it much more difficult to identify this strategy. Please be very careful and report these ads if you see them!

FAQs about Deepfakes in Korea:

1. What exactly is a ‘deepfake’ and why is it so serious?

a ‘Deepfake‘ is a video (or audio) manipulated using Artificial intelligenceL (Ia). The technology copies a person’s face and voice and ‘packs’ it on another’s, making it look like he said or did something that never happened.

It is so serious because, as we saw in the case of IU, , Read Honey and Ahn Sohee, used to create fraudulent ads from betting sites. They deceive the public using the credibility of the star to swindle them and steal money from them.

2. Apart from IU, Lee Honey and Ahn Sohee, what other cases of deepfakes are there in Korea?

Lots of! The cases we saw are from financial scams (betting and games ads). But this is not the only use.

Unfortunately, the biggest and darkest problem in Chorea (and in the world) is the creation of Explicit non-consensual sexual content. Reports from experts and international media have revealed that a very high percentage of the deepfake videos on the Internet are fake pornography, and the idols K-pop, especially from very famous female groups, are the main target.

In addition, ‘investment’ scams have also been reported using Deepfakes From famous entrepreneurs and other celebrities, promising false profits.

Netizens defienden a sus idols del deepfake — Korean netizens alerting to the deepfake on Instagram

You can also read Deepfake, South Korea’s last nightmare

3. Is doing this a crime in Korea? Are there real punishments?

Yes. It is a very serious crime. the article of 10 Asia is clear:

defamation: If AI is used to disseminate false information that slanders someone (such as making it look like a betting promoter), the culprit may face up to 7 years in prison and fines of up to 50 million won (about $36,000).
Sexual content: The law is even harsher here. From a review of the Punishment of Sexual Violence Act in 2024, create a Deepfake sex can result in up to 5 years in prison, and distributing it can lead to Up to 7 years in prison.

4. As a fan, how can I realize it’s a scam?

This is the million dollar question!

The ‘Red Flag’ It’s the explosive combination of factors!

Here’s how we identify the scam:

It is not the official account: The ad does not come from the verified account of IU or Read Honey, but from an unknown profile of a gaming site.
It is a ‘advertising’ pays: the video of IU It was clearly marked asadvertisement(advertising) at the corner.
The content is very rare!: didIU or Ahn Sohee PROMOTING ‘Chicken Road‘Or saying they bought a Benz with a betting app? It sounds totally out of place!
They block the warning (this is the key!): the scammers Disable comments On purpose. They do it so that fans can’t write: ‘This is fake!’
THE TEST: In the case of the announcement of Read Honey, it was a post (not a story) and Yes I had the comments open. And what happened? Fans immediately filled out the section by tagging the agency of Read Honey To alert them to the scam! the criminals who made the IU They learned and that’s why they deactivated everything.
The account is ghost: Many reports warn that when searching for the Instagram account that paid for the ad, in this case the IU, THIS ALREADY ‘I didn’t exist’.

5. What are the fans doing about it?

What we do best: protect our idols! In the case of the false announcement of Read Honey, as it was a post and not a story, the comments were open. the fans immediately They began to tag the official account of Lee Honey and that of his agency to alert them directly to the scam.

Reporting these ads on the platform (Instagram, TikTok, etc.) is the best action we can take!

6. What do artists agencies like IU say?

Korean agencies have a ‘zero tolerance’ policy with this. Although the article of 10 Asia It focuses on the crime itself, the standard response from agencies such as EDAM (of IU), Hybe or JYP It is taking immediate legal action. They generally publish statements announcing that they are monitoring the situation and that they will file civil and criminal lawsuits against the creators and distributors of this content for defamation and violation of image rights.

7. Why does Instagram or TikTok allow these ads?

The million dollar question! And Korean fans are just as furious. One of the comments we reviewed said: ‘The problem is Instagram, which allows them to put these ads’.

The problem is speed. Scammers create fake accounts, pay for advertising (sometimes passing the automated platform filters) and, by the time fans and agencies report it, the ad has already shown thousands of times and the account disappears. It is a game of cat and mouse that, unfortunately, is growing.

8. How can I be sure not to fall into the Deepfake money scam (such as IU or Kim Seon Ho)?

Kim Seon Ho’s agency was very clear in her statement, and this is a golden rule: ‘Actors and our employees never request money or personal information… under any circumstances’. If an alleged ‘idol’ contacts you in private asking for money or data, it’s a scam. point.

9. What happened to the case of the YouTuber ‘Sojang’? Was that Deepfake?

That’s another infamous case, but it’s different! The YouTuber ‘Sojang’ was sued for defamation by stars as v and Jungkook from BTS, and Wonyoung of Ive. However, Sojang’s case focused on the defamation and the spread of false rumors (gossip). The sources I investigated do not link it with the Deepfake technology, but with reputational damage through rumors. It’s a different kind of digital ‘war’ that idols face.

Deepfake is a problem of today’s society not only in Korea, the ethical use of artificial intelligence tools is something that we must do and demand, always be attentive so as not to fall into the traps and denounce the malicious use of AI, they are actions of this technological age that today we have to live.