"Beware of Fake Purchase Requests by Impersonators of NHIS Employees"

Verify Employee Identity and Request Authenticity When Asked for Purchase or Delivery of Goods

The National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) has recently warned that there has been a surge in incidents where individuals impersonate NHIS employees and falsely request the purchase and delivery of goods from private suppliers. The agency has urged heightened vigilance against such scams.

According to the NHIS on June 18, cases of impersonation have been reported nationwide, targeting vendors of items such as printers, partitions, electrocardiographs, and signboard stones and statues. The typical pattern involves requesting a purchase, asking for a quotation, and then requesting delivery to an NHIS branch, after which all contact is abruptly cut off.

Those impersonating NHIS employees have been reaching out using personal mobile phone numbers or email addresses to request quotations and other documents. It has been confirmed that these emails are not from official NHIS accounts. Furthermore, in the process of verifying their identity as NHIS staff, the scammers have presented forged documents such as NHIS registration certificates, payment guarantee letters, employee IDs, and business cards. They have also provided phone numbers similar to the NHIS customer service line, so that when called, a message claiming to be from the National Health Insurance Service is played, demonstrating a sophisticated approach.

In response, the NHIS is sharing information about each incident with all its branches to ensure that relevant and partner companies are alerted to these risks. The agency has also stated that it will actively respond by requesting investigations from the relevant authorities in the event of any damages.

An NHIS official stated, "The NHIS does not request quotations or make inquiries about the purchase of goods from companies using personal mobile phone numbers. When we do request quotations for private contracts, we only receive them through official NHIS email accounts." The official added, "If a company receives a quotation request, it should verify the responsible person and contact number for the relevant branch (regional headquarters) through the NHIS website before proceeding with submitting quotations or making deliveries."