- A fraudster illegally transferred 33,500 HYBE shares in Jungkook’s name.
- 500 shares worth $86,000 were sold before the scam was discovered.
- A court ruled in Jungkook’s favor, returning the stolen stocks.
While serving in the military, BTS’ Jungkook became the victim of identity theft, leading to an unauthorized transfer of HYBE shares worth $5.6 million.
Authorities are still investigating the perpetrator, with suspicions that someone with inside knowledge of Jungkook’s finances may have been involved.
HYBE Stock Fraud: Jungkook’s Identity Misused for Illegal Trade
Jungkook unknowingly became the center of a high-profile stock scam while fulfilling his military duty. The fraudster illegally accessed his information to open multiple securities accounts, making unauthorized transfers and sales of HYBE shares. The deception was only detected when Jungkook’s legal team flagged suspicious stock movements.
The Seoul Western District Court ruled in Jungkook’s favor, recognizing the fraud and ordering the return of the 500 stolen shares. The third party who purchased them was deemed negligent for failing to verify the stockholder’s identity before completing the transaction.
BigHit Music worked swiftly to restore Jungkook’s stock account and prevent further financial damage. The agency also reinforced security measures around their artists’ financial information, ensuring stricter safeguards to avoid similar incidents in the future.
Investigators are still searching for the mastermind behind the scam. Given the access required, authorities suspect an individual familiar with Jungkook’s private banking details. Whether the perpetrator was an insider or an external hacker remains a key question in the ongoing investigation.
Jungkook’s ordeal highlights the vulnerabilities celebrities face regarding financial fraud. With increased security measures in place, HYBE and legal authorities are working to ensure such a breach does not happen again.
“Privacy is not something that I’m merely entitled to, it’s an absolute prerequisite.” – Marlon Brando
