Authorities report the arrest of a man accused of a sophisticated fraud scheme that bilked a Leganés neighbor out of 335,000 euros. The suspect posed as a caring South Korean pop star and promised a blissful romance and a promising future project, exploiting online connections to harvest funds. The case began to unfold through a police briefing released on Wednesday, detailing events that trace back to October 2020. The victim, a Leganés resident, bought an online ticket for a concert featuring a famous South Korean singer and later found herself drawn into a personal, emotionally charged relationship with the impersonator. This online bond persisted for months, long after the two had never met in person.
During the relationship, the impersonator repeatedly crafted scenarios and personal anecdotes to deepen trust and manipulate the victim. Under the guise of needing money for a series of urgent personal reasons, the fraudster asked for large sums, pledging to return everything once the alleged projects advanced. The requests continued for a significant period, pressuring the victim to provide funds in increments and through multiple bank transfers. The essence of the deceit rested on a crafted narrative of romance and future opportunity that masked a financial trap.
He was not Korean, he lived in Parla.
The Leganés resident ultimately transferred 335,000 euros to a network of accounts controlled by the perpetrator and his associates. Contributions came from the victim’s own resources, help from relatives, and even a loan secured to fuel the scheme. Investigators from the Leganés Police Station Local Judicial Police Brigade traced the flow of funds and identified several accounts used to launder the money, leading to the arrest of a suspect in Parla who posed as a water seller and played an instrumental role in the fraud. The arrest marks a turning point in an ongoing investigation that seeks to map the full scope of the operation and recover any remaining assets.
Law enforcement emphasizes that further inquiries are underway to clarify every detail of the case and to determine if additional arrests are warranted. Authorities caution residents about similar online fraud attempts that exploit romantic interests and celebrity personas, urging individuals to verify identities and report suspicious communications. The investigation remains active as detectives work to uncover all linked accounts and participants and to assess the potential reach of the scheme beyond the initial victim.
Citation: Leganés Police Station, Local Judicial Police Brigade. Police updates and case notes are being consolidated to provide a comprehensive public account of this matter while preserving the integrity of the ongoing inquiry. Additional information may be released as investigators complete their work.