Romance Scam | Representing a Romance Scam Victim in a Claim for Damages of Approximately 100 Million Won

2025.08.08김국일

This is the account of a client who sought this firm's assistance, stating that the client had suffered harm from a romance scam. The client had suffered a loss of about 100 million won from a romance scam and wished to bring a claim for damages.

1. The Client Who Suffered Romance Scam Harm

This is the account of a client who urgently requested a consultation, stating that she had suffered a romance scam.

The client had already reported the romance scam to the police, but she was told by the police that they could not help with recovering the principal.

The client then came to the firm to file a lawsuit to recover the amount of the romance scam loss.

The Facts of the Client's Harm

In an immediate consultation, the facts of the client’s loss, as described, were as follows.

The client came to know A through a random chat application. A introduced himself as running a company that purchases and supplies artworks to various countries abroad.

The client and A showed each other close feelings, like those of a couple, and kept in contact for about a week.

In the meantime, A said that he had visited Japan to handle business and planned to go to Korea, and he proposed that they go on a proper date in Korea.

As A shared his daily life and even proposed a date, the client’s feelings of love gradually grew.

A said that he was handling business but was having difficulty because the internet connection in Japan was poor, and he asked the client to help him transfer a purchase payment.

The client then transferred about 30 million won to the account A provided. A expressed his gratitude but asked the client to help with transfers about 3 more times until he arrived in Korea.

The client declined, saying that there was no cash on hand, but A asked the client to take out a loan and lend the money, promising to repay it with interest.

Believing that A was genuinely experiencing difficulty in carrying out his business, the client transferred a total of 100 million won.

Afterward, A acted as though he was about to leave for Korea right away, then suddenly deleted his account and cut off all contact.

Only then did the client realize that they had been the victim of a romance scam. The client filed a report with the police and asked this firm for assistance in recovering the amount of the loss.

2. Explanation of Romance Scams

A romance scam approaches a victim through social media, dating apps, email, and similar channels, forms a relationship premised on romance or marriage to gain trust, and then defrauds the victim of economic benefits.

The main characteristics are as follows.

Item	Description
Method of approach	Online approach through Instagram, Facebook, Tinder, email, KakaoTalk, and similar platforms
Target victims	Lonely middle-aged and older adults, isolated single-person households, high-income single people, and others
Criminal method	Expressions of affection, promises of marriage, requests for money transfers, solicitation of investment, disappearance after the transfer
Common pretexts	Soldier deployed overseas, business investment, urgent money transfer request, customs fees, hospital bills, children's education costs, and others
Common pattern	Sharing daily life → emotional exchange → demand for money → cutting off contact

How to Respond When You Suffer Romance Scam Harm

When you recognize that you have been a victim of a romance scam, you must take measures right away to prevent the damage from spreading.

▶Methods of criminal response

A romance scam constitutes the crime of 🔗fraud under the Criminal Act, and you should respond according to the following procedure.

1. Collection of evidence

Conversation records (KakaoTalk, messengers, email, SNS DMs, etc.)

Remittance records (account numbers, deposit receipts, transfer screen captures)

The other party's photographs and the profile information used

The context of the conversation at the time of remittance and the nature of the demands

2. Visit to a police station or the cyber investigation unit

Submitting a complaint to the criminal division of the competent police station or to the cybercrime investigation team

Or filing an online report by accessing the cybercrime reporting system

▶Methods of civil response

Separately from a criminal complaint, you may file a civil lawsuit to recover the amount lost in the romance scam.

1. Preparation of materials before the lawsuit

Collecting evidence such as deposit and conversation records

The other party's real name, address, and information on the account holder

2. Filing a claim for damages

3. Conducting the pleading procedure

4. Judgment and compulsory execution

3. The Civil Specialist Attorney Who Filed the Romance Scam Damages Claim

The firm's civil litigation attorney filed a claim for damages against a total of two persons, including A, in order to recover on the client's behalf the amount lost to the romance scam.

Those persons were the holders of the accounts that A had provided when asking for transfers, and the civil litigation attorney argued that a joint tort was established, citing the following precedent.

A so-called romance scam is an organized international crime in which the offenders create social media accounts overseas using false personal information, then use those accounts to contact victims residing in the country at random, build rapport, and develop the relationship into an intimate one such as friend or romantic partner. Using the trust thereby gained from the victims as an opportunity, they request loans of money from the victims or ask them to receive various goods within the country, and demand money under the names of customs fees, shipping costs, and the like, thereby deceiving the victims and repeatedly defrauding them of money.

It is structured so that the entire offense is functionally divided, with a head who connects the domestic and overseas organizations and manages members, a lure who communicates with victims through social media accounts and the like, a procurer who obtains accounts to receive the money defrauded from victims, and a withdrawer who withdraws and delivers the proceeds. The members also address one another by abbreviations and nicknames, and the organization is operated in cells so that a member cannot identify other members who are not directly related to his or her own role. (Seoul Western District Court Judgment of March 29, 2023, 2022Godan702, 2022Chogi571, etc.)

The civil litigation attorney emphasized that, even assuming the two defendants other than A had no connection to the romance scam crime, a tort of aiding the offense by transferring or lending their accounts is clearly established, so that a joint tort against the client is established.

The attorney therefore sought a judgment ordering the defendants to pay the total of 100 million won that the client had paid, as damages arising from the romance scam fraud.

Result of the Romance Scam Damages Claim

Outcome of the romance scam damages claim

As a result of the civil law specialist attorney claiming romance scam damages on the client’s behalf, the court ordered the defendants to pay the client 100 million won.

Although the client was deeply hurt by the romance scam that exploited her feelings, she expressed her gratitude for the help in being able to recover the full amount of the loss.

The client is currently also pursuing criminal proceedings seeking punishment of the defendants in this case with the help of this firm’s criminal law specialist attorney.

This firm develops a strategy suited to the client’s case based on its experience representing romance scam victims in both civil and criminal proceedings.

If you have suffered romance scam harm and need a one-stop response, please 🔗schedule a legal consultation.

This content is based on actual cases handled by Daeryun Law LLC and has been partially adapted. All copyrights belong to Daeryun Law LLC.
Unauthorized reproduction, copying or distribution may result in legal action under applicable laws.