KUALA LUMPUR, March 6 -- K-drama seriesThe Art of Sarahhas surged to the top of Netflix's non-English TV rankings in Malaysia, drawing viewers with a story that echoes a real-life luxury fraud scandal from South Korea.

The series stars Shin Hye-sun as a master con artist building a seemingly elite handbag label, and has become a global hit and is currently ranked No.1 in several other South-east Asian countries like Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.

In the show, protagonist Sarah Kim constructs the illusion of a European luxury brand called Boudoir, marketing handbags as exclusive items for VIP clients and European royalty.

The plot later reveals that the bags are cheaply produced in Korea using low-cost materials whil...