Scams targeting foreign nationals soar amid K-culture tourism boom

As more fans from overseas travel to South Korea for concerts, merchandise and other cultural experiences, police data has shown a sharp rise in fraud reports filed by foreign nationals.

According to data from the National Police Agency released Sunday, the number of foreign nationals who reported fraud in Korea nearly quadrupled in a year, rising from 5,307 cases in 2023 to 19,907 last year.

Some cases have involved Korean cultural content, including K-pop merchandise and concert ticket purchas ...