Pocheon City in Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Baek Younghyeon) has urged citizens and local businesses to exercise heightened caution after a recent incident in which an individual attempted to purchase goods by impersonating a city official.
Pocheon City, Attempted Fraudulent Purchase of Goods by Impersonating Public Officials. Provided by Pocheon City
According to Pocheon City on June 26, on June 24, an unidentified individual delivered a forged official document requesting the purchase of goods, using the name of Pocheon City Hall, to a local business in an attempt to make an actual purchase.
The attempted fraud was uncovered when the business, suspicious of the contents of the document, contacted the city hall to verify its authenticity. Fortunately, no damage occurred.
The document included the title and name of a non-existent official, an actual administrative phone number, a similar form design, and a forged official seal. This method is identical to the recent "fraudulent purchase of goods by impersonating public institutions" cases reported in other local governments.
Pocheon City plans to prevent similar incidents in the future by providing guidance to local businesses and promoting awareness through official social networking service (SNS) channels.
An official from Pocheon City stated, "As recent cases of sophisticated fraud involving impersonation of public institutions are spreading nationwide, we urge everyone to always verify the authenticity of any requests for goods delivery or contracts by contacting the relevant institution or department directly."
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