PETALING JAYA, June 2 — Blackpink member Lisa has been swindled of one billion Korean won (RM3.5 million) by her former manager, her entertainment agency YG Entertainment confirmed today in a statement.

Korean media outlet Market News first reported that the Thai singer, whose real name is Lalisa Manoban, was convinced to give up her money after her ex-manager told her he would help her with real estate investments.

He ended up using the money to fund his gambling habit instead.

YG Entertainment announced today that action will be taken against the manager, known as "A,” for abusing Lisa’s trust and taking advantage of her.

"We found out through an internal investigation that Lisa was a victim of fraud by her former manager ‘A’.

"According to Lisa’s wishes of an amicable settlement, as he was a former manager she trusted, ‘A’ has agreed to reimburse some of the money he stole while the rest of the money will be paid back through a repayment plan, and he has left the company.

"We are very embarrassed by the behaviour of A who took advantage of his trust with the artiste, and we feel responsible for the management and supervision (of our staff),” said YG Entertainment, based on translations from Soompi.

An anonymous source previously told Market News that "A” had worked with Lisa since her debut in 2016 and that he was well-trusted amongst YG Entertainment staff and the Blackpink members.

The source added that as a young foreigner in South Korea, Lisa was an easy target for financial scams and hoped that YG Entertainment would take responsibility for the hurt and financial losses caused by their staff member.