Kim Jong Kook recalled a painful story about how he lost billions of won through an investment scam.

Scammers nowadays are getting more creative, utilizing technologies to fraud people. Unfortunately, even celebrities like the "Running Man" star were once victimized by a modus operandi.

In one of the episodes of SBS' "My Little Old Boy," Kim Jong Kook shared a story about his own experience with financial scams.

Kim Jong Kook Talks About His Experience Being Scammed 'Many Times'

Kim Jong Kook opened up about a financial setback he previously experienced. Along with fellow guest Lee Sang Min, they were invited to Choi Jin Hyuk's stunning home.

There, Choi Jin Hyuk expressed his frustration. At one point, he mentioned that his image made people think that he "was someone who didn't have a clue about managing money."

"I get tons of messages on social media asking me to invest or even lend money."

However, this is where Kim Jong Kook admitted that he was a victim of a scam. According to him, he has experienced it "many times" already.

"No matter what I heard, I didn't budge, but everyone kept telling me that I needed to invest in financial production, so I finally did."

The singer-host and actor revealed that he "invested several billion won" or tens of millions of USD, thinking that it was a safe and smart decision, but it turned out to be a scam.

"After that experience, I decided not to care about money I didn't earn through hard work."

According to one Reddit post, Kim Jong Kook is one of the highest paid "Running Man" cast members next to Yoo Jae Suk.

Per media outlets, Kim Jong Kook's net worth is around 16 million USD, with most of his earnings coming from his on-screen appearances and endorsements.

Interestingly, because of his image, most of the brands and companies that team up with him focus on fitness and health-related products, like Calobye Protein Shake in 2018, 401 Restaurant with fellow "Running Man" cast member HAHA, as well as XEXYMIX Fitness and BRTC skincare in 2021.

What's Next for Kim Jong Kook?

Continuing his stint in the longtime running TV show "Running Man," Kim Jing Kook is also active on his YouTube channel, "Gym Jong Kook."

Currently with 3.01 million subscribers, the South Korean star continues to delight viewers with his charm and knowledge of fitness.

Other than this, he also has a TV show called "Couple Palace" with Lee Mi Joo and Yoo Se Yoon as the main host.

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Written by Geca Flores