“Don’t Live Like That”—Former K-pop Idol Explodes After Falling for Online Scam

Former Wonder Girls member Hye-rim has publicly shared her anger and frustration after becoming a victim of an online scam.

On March 25, Hye-rim took to her Instagram Stories, writing:

“I can’t believe I got scammed online. I can’t sleep. If you have that much passion for scamming, use it to do honest work. Don’t live your life like this.”

She went on to warn her followers about how the scam unfolded, explaining:

“I saw on the news that this has happened to a lot of people. If someone asks you to contact them via KakaoTalk when buying online, sends an external link for payment, or claims you didn’t send a small fee and asks for it again—that’s all a scam.”

The scam happened while she was trying to purchase children’s books—a detail that seemed to sting most.

“I was just trying to buy books for my kids. Don’t exploit mothers like this,” she wrote, clearly emotional.

Hye-rim: From K-pop Star to Multilingual Mom

Born in Korea but raised in Hong Kong for 14 years, Hye-rim is fluent in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese. She rose to fame in 2010 when she joined Wonder Girls, one of the most iconic girl groups of the second-gen K-pop era.

Wonder Girls scored hits with songs like “Tell Me,” “Nobody,” “So Hot,” and “Be My Baby”, becoming a household name in Korea and abroad before disbanding in 2017.

Since then, Hye-rim has pursued her studies, solo activities, and built a family. She married Shin Min-chul, a former Taekwondo athlete six years her senior, in 2020. The couple now have two sons.

Fans React

After her post, fans flooded social media with supportive messages like:

“Unnie, thank you for warning us—hope you’re okay.”

“This happens too often to moms and students. So wrong.”

“Scammers preying on people buying kids’ stuff? Absolutely disgusting.”

Her honest and emotional post struck a chord, especially among young parents and fans who’ve grown up with her.

A Rising Scam Trend

Experts note that KakaoTalk-based phishing scams are on the rise in Korea, often targeting online marketplace users with urgent-sounding messages, payment links, and small “verification” fees. Many victims don’t realize they’ve been scammed until it’s too late.

As Hye-rim said: “Don’t let your guard down—this can happen to anyone.”