If a celebrity ever contacts you asking for money, take this as a PSA that it's most likely a scam.

Recently, it was reported that Taiwanese singer Eric Chou's agency, M.Star entertainment, had received several emails from his fans seeking help.

A South Korean female fan allegedly told the agency that since 2021, she had been communicating online with someone claiming to be the 31-year-old singer.

Over the years, the person repeatedly borrowed money from her for various reasons. She eventually transferred a total of NT$2,058,884 (S$84K) to the person claiming to be Eric.

Because the individual repeatedly failed to pay her back, the fan began contacting Eric’s team in early 2026 in hopes of getting her money back. 

The fan ifirmly believed the person she'd been in contact with was indeed the real Eric Chou, and insisted she possessed extensive chat records and call logs, and even provided numerous screenshots as evidence.

However, after investigating the matter, M.Star confirmed that Eric had absolutely no involvement and that the case was a cross-border romance and financial scam carried out by someone impersonating the singer.

The company immediately responded to the fan, clarified the situation, and advised her to report the case to local police.

Among the evidence provided by the victim were records of phone calls between the two parties, and it is possible they had even conducted video calls.

Eric's agency expressed serious concern and noted that with AI technology, voices and images can now be convincingly replicated. They warned fans not to blindly trust what they see or hear, even if a person appears on video and sounds authentic.

The company emphasised that, in recent years, there has been a growing number of cases worldwide in which scammers use AI to impersonate celebrities and influencers in order to solicit loans or conduct romance scams.

These criminals often exploit fans’ trust and admiration to persuade them to send money.

The company urged all fans to remain vigilant and to carefully verify any requests involving loans, investments, money transfers, or purchasing services on someone else’s behalf.

Photos: Eric Chou/Instagram