SEOUL, June 21 -- South Korea's global K-pop success is drawing record numbers of fans to the country - but it is also creating new opportunities for scammers, with fraud reports filed by foreign nationals nearly quadrupling in just two years.

According to data from South Korea's National Police Agency released yesterday, the number of foreign nationals reporting fraud rose from 5,307 cases in 2023 to 19,907 in 2025, as international visitors flocked to the country for concerts, fan events and official merchandise.

Some of the cases have centred on K-pop, with overseas fans losing money after paying individuals in South Korea to buy sought-after concert tickets or official merchandise on their behalf, only for the sellers to disappear o...