"Hand over 400,000 won" – Fingers looked swollen after nail treatment, but it was all AI manipulation

[The Financial News] A case has been reported in which a foreign woman who received a nail treatment exploited a photo manipulated with artificial intelligence (AI) technology to demand a refund and medical expenses from the shop owner.
On the 8th, the JTBC program "Case Chief" featured a tip-off from a person identified as A, who runs a nail salon in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province.
According to the report, A explained, "Around 2 p.m. on the 26th of last month, I had a foreign female customer," adding, "She received a nail service worth 130,000 won and left, but about four hours later she contacted me, saying there was a problem."
The woman is said to have sent a photo showing her fingers severely swollen and claimed, "I am suffering serious physical and psychological damage due to severe pain and inflammation in my nails."
She then informed A that she had visited a hospital and presented a prescription and a medical certificate. At the same time, she demanded not only a refund of the treatment cost but also medical expenses totaling a little over 400,000 won.
However, when A closely examined the medical certificate, the diagnosis listed was muscle pain and gastro-duodenitis, conditions completely unrelated to fingernails. Finding this suspicious, A asked the woman to send a diagnosis specifically for the hand area.
In response, the woman merely repeated that she would file a claim for damages. In the end, A personally visited the hospital that had supposedly issued the certificate. The hospital confirmed that the document was forged.
Following A's report, a police investigation was launched. During questioning, the woman admitted, saying she did it because she needed money and that all the photos had been manipulated using AI. The police have booked her on charges of forging private documents and fraud and are continuing their investigation.
hsg@fnnews.com Han Seung-gon Reporter