Man poses as Son Heung-min’s friend, allegedly swindles $98,000 from girlfriend
SEOUL – South Korean police are searching for a man who is believed to have swindled around 100 million won (S$98,000) from his former girlfriend while pretending to be football superstar Son Heung-min’s close friend.
The suspect, a former professional football player in his 30s, is believed to have obtained the money from the victim in 2021.
He borrowed money from her on 19 occasions between May and December 2021, saying he needed money for a planned “entertainment business”, the police said on May 30.
He tricked her into believing that he could pay back the money, saying he had 1.2 billion won in his bank account which had been temporarily seized by authorities, and a sports car that he could sell.
He also pretended to be close to Tottenham Hotspur star Son, based on a photo they took together in 2014.
When the suspect refused to settle the debt, she filed civil charges against him in 2022.
An investigation reveals that the photo came from the only time the two players had met, and the suspect had 1,700 won in the bank then.
His whereabouts are unknown since 2022.
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