kakaotalk

Scam and impersonation tactics are constantly evolving to lower users' guard. Based on user reports, Kakao continuously monitors newly emerging impersonation patterns and works to prevent user harm.

This case introduces a new type of impersonation scam in which perpetrators pose as neighbors from the floor above or below — or as acquaintances — approaching users under the pretext of everyday complaints before steering the conversation to an external messaging platform.

 

Through the first half of 2025, impersonation scams were mostly commercially-driven — such as counterfeit sales on shopping platforms and promotional spam messages. In the second half of the year, however, a new pattern has emerged: "everyday-context" impersonation, in which scammers pose as figures from users' daily lives — neighbors, acquaintances, or hobby-group members. Because similar tactics can appear across any everyday communication channel — messengers, text messages, and social media — recognizing these patterns in advance and taking preventive action is essential.

The "everyday-context" impersonation scams observed in the second half of 2025 fall into two main types, both sharing a critical trait: they are difficult to recognize as scams at first contact. While traditional promotional approaches revealed their intent from the very first message, "everyday-context" impersonation unfolds gradually — scammers draw users into natural conversation, guide them to an external platform, and only after a level of trust has been established do they request money as a means of committing fraud.

 

Take a closer look at the key tactics and warning signs of this case below.