The unwanted side effects of viewer retention.
If you make your living by trying to illicit donations from viewers, having returning audience members willing to support you with regular payments of large sums may seem like a relief at first.
However, the September 11, 2025 murder of a TikToker by a man who had previously donated about USD 70,000 to her has now prompted other professional influencers warning against accepting recurring and outsized sums.
The Case of Yoon Ji-ah
Yoon Ji-ah, the victim of the murder, was a South Korean TikToker and livestreamer in her 20s known for sketch and Vlog content. On September 11, 2025, she was found dead on a mountainside in Muju County. The case soon drew particular attention for the assumed motive of the murder, considering that the suspect, a man in his 50s, was a regular and particularly generous viewer of Yoon Ji-ah.
Choi, also known by his alias "Black Cat", was a comparatively well-known figure in the Korean streaming landscape, being a major financial supporter of mainly female online creators. Usually presenting himself as an IT company executive, later investigations revealed that this image was fabricated, with him actually being heavily indebted and on the brink of homelessness.
Prior to her death, Yoon Ji-ah had reportedly sought to end her professional association with Choi due to his increasingly coercive behavior. CCTV footage suggests that she was forcibly restrained shortly after her final live broadcast on September 11, later dying due to asphyxiation from neck compression. After initial denial, Choi confessed to the killing, which analysts suggest may have been motivated by the collapse of his partnership with the influencer.
A Cautionary Streaming Tale
While crimes motivated by these one-sided parasocial relationships, in which regular viewers of influencers tend to feel like they are personally familiar with them and thus deserve their attention, are certainly nothing new, the large sums donated by Choi and the severity of the crime caused other streamers to issue warnings to their colleagues when the headline became more widely-circulated.
Among them are US-based gaming influencers Asmongold as well as occasional guest Tectone, both known for receiving substantial monetary contributions from viewers. However, they have since stated to have taken steps to address cases involving unusually large donations, prioritizing their own safety and professional boundaries over accepting gifts that could create a false sense of personal connection or obligation on part of the giver.
A cautionary tale for any streamer: if someone randomly starts giving you a ton of money, stop/block them.
— Zack (@Asmongold) October 9, 2025
I know it might sound insane, but think about the kinds of people who give 50k to a girl on the internet
Insane people.
Be safe and proactive!
But what do you think? Is it simply easier for these already-well-off streamers to call on others to pass on this kind of money? Or may the case of Yoon and Choi be emblematic of a larger issue? Let us know in the comments!