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Manhattan DA Indicts Brandon Kiehm in Alleged $272,000 Bumble Romance Scam

Prosecutors say money she believed was for a Brooklyn property auction was diverted to an associate.

Overview

  • Kiehm, 45, was arraigned in Manhattan Supreme Court on a second-degree grand larceny charge and released on non-monetary bail.
  • Prosecutors allege he used the name Dae Up Lee Kim after meeting the 44-year-old on Bumble in 2019 and moved into her apartment.
  • The woman sent a $78,250 cashier’s check, then wires of $86,750 and $107,000 for what she believed were payments tied to a Brooklyn auction property.
  • The DA says he never bid on the home and that the money went to an associate, was shifted into a jointly held account, and withdrawn in cash.
  • The Financial Frauds Bureau is continuing the case and seeking other possible victims, and news reports note Kiehm’s 2017 convictions for similar scams.