When Rika Sawamura, a beauty salon owner, received a message on Instagram in 2021 from a good-looking stranger — at least that's how his profile appeared — she casually responded without giving it much thought.

“You have a beautiful smile,” he texted. He told her that he was South Korean, and that he was two years younger than her; she was 37 at the time.

Pictures he posted on his profile showed that he lived an affluent lifestyle.