Amid This... Payment Demanded Using Marketing Support Company Selection Bait
SojinGong Conducts On-Site Inspection of Corporation Impersonation Damage... Considering Legal Action
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daeseop] "This is a small business owner ○○. Our corporation selects two companies each month to support promotion and marketing, and you have been selected. You only need to pay 25,000 KRW per month. May I have your card number?"
Self-employed individual Lee Youngho (alias) recently received a phone call like this. Since he was familiar with the Small Enterprise and Market Service (SEMAS), which supports small business development and revitalizes commercial districts, he followed the instructions without suspicion and paid 900,000 KRW by card for three years’ worth of fees. He thought he had been selected for a program that supports promotion and marketing at a low cost to strengthen small business capabilities.
However, the caller was not an SEMAS employee. It was confirmed that the call was a case of impersonation by a private company unrelated to SEMAS. Lee immediately reported the damage to SEMAS, and SEMAS has provided legal advice to him through its legal team.
Recently, SEMAS posted a "Beware of Damage" notice on its website to prevent further incidents. SEMAS does not solicit or conduct sales activities related to paid advertisements, product subscriptions, or other profit-making businesses. SEMAS informs customers of this and urges caution to avoid impersonation damage.
Illegal cases using similar names of reputable institutions for advertising, payment of advertising fees, and product sales are emerging. This is a blow to small business owners and self-employed individuals who are already struggling due to the economic downturn, sluggish domestic demand, and the impact of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Illegal cases of impersonating the corporation to approach self-employed individuals with promises of support may increase. SEMAS shares impersonation damage cases with its six regional headquarters and 62 centers nationwide through its Integrity Strategy Team. In addition, local center field staff visit traditional markets and shopping districts directly to inform merchants about impersonation damage cases to prevent them from falling victim.
An SEMAS official said, "For cases identified as causing damage to customers by impersonating our corporation, we are reviewing legal measures with advice from the legal team," adding, "We plan to actively respond by strengthening field monitoring."
SEMAS is a quasi-governmental organization under the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, supporting small business owners and traditional markets through the operation of the Small Enterprise Market Promotion Fund worth 2 trillion KRW.
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