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Big Hit responds to BTS concert scam
By Chris Cooke | Published on Monday 18 November 2019
K-pop management firm Big Hit Entertainment has responded to the news that a number of promoters have been scammed by fraudsters who claim to represent BTS. Meanwhile a Korean actor who has been linked to the scam by media has threatened to sue for libel.
Korean news outfit The Fact last week reported that several entertainment industry insiders had taken part in the scam. The accused claimed to represent Big Hit’s biggest client and faked contracts relating to made-up shows. The fraudulent paperwork was then used to get promoters in various Asian countries to commit to invest in a series of non-existent BTS concerts, in one case to the tune of $1.2 million.
One of the victims of the scam is quoted by The Fact as saying that, while one man in particular instigated the fraud, various others music industry execs helped in its implementation. The victim then adds that: “I was deceived by documents that used Big Hit Entertainment’s document format”.
The scam seemingly fell apart after investors in a fake BTS show in Hong Kong, due to take place last month, finally realised the concert wasn’t happening. According to reports, investors visited the offices of the scammers to reclaim their money and, during that visit, police were called. The accused were then arrested, in part because they were already wanted by the authorities in relation to another fraud.
Commenting on all this, a spokesperson for Big Hit Entertainment said that the company only became aware of the fraud “after seeing a screenshot of a fake document from an industry source. Big Hit Entertainment has never signed such contracts. They are fake contracts and documents”. The spokesperson added: “In a situation like this, we take legal action when we find out that actual crimes and damages have been done”.
Among those linked to the scam is an unnamed Korean actor and his manager. It’s claimed that that manager met with Chinese investors at a BTS concert in Thailand and falsely introduced himself as a board member of Big Hit Entertainment.
That actor and manager have now denied the allegations, with a legal rep insisting that his clients do not know the person who is said to have instigated the scam. Accusing The Fact of reporting “fake news”, the lawyer added that a libel action would now follow.
