'Proxy Purchase' Scams by Impersonating Public Officials... At Least 9 Cases Reported in Seoul

Using Forged Business Cards and Order Forms
Seoul City Establishes Four Key Prevention Guidelines

Recently, Seoul City has issued a warning urging heightened caution as cases have emerged in which individuals impersonate public officials, request proxy purchases of goods from companies, demand advance payments under the pretense of goods payments, and then disappear.

The city reported that at least nine cases of such scams?where fraudsters impersonate officials from public institutions or local governments?have occurred involving Seoul City, district offices, and public health centers. In response, the city has issued a "Public Official Impersonation Scam Alert." These impersonation scams are spreading this month to other local governments such as Cheongju, Anyang, Uijeongbu, and Hwaseong, as well as public institutions like Gyeonggi Fire Service and Chungbuk Fire Service.

Official business card impersonating a public official used in a fraud scheme. Provided by Seoul City

Seoul City conducted an emergency survey to confirm the extent of damages, and at least nine cases were identified. Of these, two cases resulted in actual financial losses, while seven cases were attempted but unsuccessful.

The investigation found that the perpetrators used forged business cards and order forms designed to appear as if they were legitimate requests from real public officials. The most common method involved inducing the victimized companies to arrange proxy delivery of goods?often items not handled by the company or difficult to order immediately?by a third-party supplier, and then persuading the company to transfer the payment via bank account.

To prevent such damages in advance, the city has established "Four Key Guidelines to Prevent Public Official Impersonation Scams": ▲Verify extension numbers ▲Check the authenticity of the sender and official documents ▲Never make advance payments ▲Report immediately to the police.

Going forward, Seoul City plans to strengthen monitoring, expand cooperation with relevant agencies, and increase public awareness in order to actively respond to the increasingly sophisticated methods of public institution impersonation scams.

Kim Myungseon, Director of the Fair Economy Division at Seoul City, stated, "Through this survey, we have confirmed that proxy delivery frauds involving impersonation of public officials have indeed occurred in Seoul City. Attempts to scam small and medium-sized enterprises and small business owners by impersonating public officials are expected to continue. If you receive any suspicious contact regarding proxy purchases of goods or requests for advance payments, you should immediately halt the transaction and verify its authenticity through Seoul City's official channels."