SEOUL (The Korea Herald/ANN): South Korea and Brazil have agreed to strengthen cooperation to crack down on scams in which perpetrators impersonate South Koreans or spread false information about K-pop performances and travel programmes.
Acting Commissioner-General Yoo Jae-seong of the Korea National Police Agency signed a memorandum of understanding on Feb 23 with Mr Andrei Passos Rodrigues, director-general of the Brazil Federal Police, to expand joint prevention and investigative cooperation between the two countries’ police authorities.
The agreement marks the first formal cooperation framework between the police agencies of the two countries.
During talks held before the signing ceremony, the two sides discussed so-called “Korea Wave scams”, in which criminals exploit the popularity of Korean culture by posing as Koreans or South Korea-linked businesses online.
In Brazil, the authorities have reported cases involving fake sales of South Korean travel packages, K-pop merchandise and online romance scams.
Suspects claiming to be South Korean allegedly extorted money or committed sexual exploitation after luring or abducting victims, according to the Consulate-General of the Republic of Korea in Sao Paulo.
Some fraudulent websites even advertised paid South Korea-themed dating experiences with South Korean men, one of which was later found to be operated by a local suspect, the authorities said.
The South Korean consulate has also issued warnings on its website, noting that victims have emerged across various age groups and educational backgrounds among fans of South Korean culture.
“Brazil is one of the largest consumers of Korean cultural content in Latin America, making preventive action essential to protect both South Korean nationals and local fans,” the Korea National Police Agency’s Yoo said. -- THE KOREA HERALD/ ASIA NEWS NETWORK
