[Woman in her 30s, surnamed A (Informant): "I love you, honey," I called him "oppa," and he called me "jagiya" (honey). We talked like that for nearly a year. I think he pinned me as his spouse.]

The story of a woman who exchanged social media messages for about eight months with an individual impersonating actor Lee Dong Wook has come to light, causing shock.

Woman A, a woman in her 30s who works as an extra, started communicating through social media early this year with an individual claiming to be Lee Dong Wook. She continued chatting for about eight months and said she came to believe she was actually in a romantic relationship with Lee Dong Wook.

A said she had seen Lee Dong Wook from afar but had never met him in person or spoken to him on the phone. She claimed they exchanged selfies, complimented each other's appearances, and even talked about meeting up with their parents for a formal family meeting before marriage.

[Woman in her 30s, surnamed A (Informant): He sent me a selfie photos, and when I showed him my photos, Lee Dong Wook said I was really pretty... Lee Dong Wook practically confessed his feelings to me. He even talked about visiting together with his parents for a formal family meeting. So it developed into a romantic relationship.]

A also stated that the other person claimed to have sent a gift worth 700 million won while shooting overseas, but it was caught by customs, prompting demands for customs clearance and storage fees, which led her to transfer money.

[Woman in her 30s, surnamed A (Informant): The money I spent alone amounts to about 30 to 40 million won. I broke my regular savings account and even added my living expenses to deposit 35 million won for him.]

Even though the account holder names for the money transfers kept changing, the other person explained that because he is a celebrity, things shouldn't become a big deal, and A said she did not suspect it at the time.

Experts who reviewed the case diagnosed it as a typical international fraud crime, a romance scam, but A still believed that the person she was in contact with was actual actor Lee Dong Wook.

[Woman in her 30s, surnamed A (Informant): Because Lee Dong Wook contacted me directly every morning and evening, because we were truly dating... he even talked about how he knows many celebrities and would introduce them to me directly.]

Meanwhile, actor Lee Dong Wook's agency urged, "Our agency's artists do not request money, valuables, or personal information through personal messengers or social media accounts," adding, "If you receive contact from an account suspected of impersonation, please do not respond under any circumstances."

They also emphasized, "Recently, similar damage cases are occurring in other places as well, so special caution is required."

Internet users who encountered the case expressed bewilderment, leaving reactions such as, "How can you become lovers without even meeting?" and "Would Lee Dong Wook be in a situation where he lacks 35 million won?"

(Planned by: Yoon Sung-sik | Video by: Kim Gi-hyun | Screen source: News Hunters | Produced by: SBS Digital News)