ZEROBASEONE’s Gyuvin is going viral after sharing a funny and slightly unfortunate story about losing money during his trip to New York. While the amount was not large, the incident quickly went viral as fans wondered how an idol could be scammed while roaming the city.
Speaking with fans on live stream, Gyuvin revealed that he ended up losing $30 USD after an unexpected encounter on the street. He explained that he was walking around New York City when a group of men handed him flyers. After accepting one and trying to leave, the situation quickly escalated.
According to Gyuvin, one of the men suddenly offered to sign something for him.
“I lost around ₩42,000 KRW (about $29.00 USD) to some hyungs. I flew all the way to New York just to lose money. It was quite a special… Unique experience. That’s right, thanks. Yeah, hear me out. I was walking around in New York City when some guys who looked like rapper hyungs tried to give out flyers. I said thanks and tried to walk past them, but one of them was like “let me sign for you.” I was like… what? Signing for me? Suddenly, he took a pen out and started signing for me.”
Gyuvin recalled being confused, saying he didn’t understand why they were signing for him but the man pulled out a pen and started anyway. When asked his name, Gyuvin told them “Gyuvin,” before suggesting they write “Kevin” instead.
Things became stranger when the men told him that since they signed something for him, they were family now and encouraged him to join their crew. Gyuvin said they pulled out what looked like a menu with various options on it to join the crew for a fee.
Although he initially hesitated, Gyuvin said he started thinking of it as a donation because they looked like they might be struggling. They initially tried to hustle him out of $300 USD, the cheapest option on the “menu.” After going back and forth, they eventually settled on $30.
Fans found the story both hilarious and relatable, with many joking that Gyuvin experienced a classic New York street hustle while others praised his positive mindset about the situation. After all’s said and done, Gyuvin decided to think of it as a donation rather than a scam.
Relive his story-telling moment below.
the story of gyuvin losing $30 to some strange americans…😭
🦌🐶 i lost 42,000 won from some hyungs in new york… i flew all the way to new york to lose money. it was quite a special experience. thank you, it was really a unique experience, so listen up.
🦌🐶 i was walking… pic.twitter.com/y4G1Qt6hLx
— ͏͏͏͏ً (@spillthevins) February 19, 2026