"Instead of Combat Rations, Buy It"…Military Officer Impersonation Scam in Dangjin

Attempted Fraud Worth 10 Million Won at Two Hardware Stores
Requests for Combat Ration Purchases After Tool Orders

In Dangjin, Chungcheongnam-do, a series of fraud cases involving impersonation of military officers has occurred, prompting Dangjin City to urge small business owners to be cautious.

According to Dangjin City on the 30th, a man claiming to be an officer from a local military unit recently called two hardware stores, stating he wanted to purchase items worth about 1 million won, including a drill tool set. The man also sent photos of official documents to the hardware store owners' mobile phones, including a unit supply approval confirmation letter containing the unit name and officer title, as well as this year's unit maintenance consumables purchase approval letter.

Fake official document used in a scam impersonating military officers. Provided by Dangjin City

Shortly after, the man called again, saying, "The price of combat rations for the training soldiers suddenly increased, so I need to rewrite the accounting documents. Please purchase them first, and I will repay you," requesting cooperation to buy combat rations worth about 10 million won. Suspicious, the hardware store owner contacted the military and found that the officer named in the documents did not exist. The hardware store owner verified the facts in advance, so no actual damage occurred. The man did not contact again, and although the military authorities tried to call back the number from which the hardware store owner received the call, there was no connection.

Such crimes also occurred last month in Incheon. At that time, two hardware store owners in Incheon reportedly suffered damages of 16 million won and 8 million won, respectively. Similarly, the man impersonating a military officer even lied to the hardware store owners, saying, "A second martial law order has been issued."

Additionally, there have been about 70 nationwide cases of "no-shows," where individuals impersonating military officers placed large group orders at restaurants and then cut off contact, prompting the police to conduct a joint investigation. A police official urged, "Small business owners should exercise special caution by setting reservation deposits and verifying official phone numbers when accepting large orders."