"I Want to Buy Flowerpots in Bulk"... Warning Issued Over Consumer Agency Employee Impersonation Scams

Requesting Price Quotes from Flower Shops and Horticultural Farms While Posing as Agency Employees
Inducing Proxy Payments for Red Ginseng and Plum Extract
Consumer Agency Requests Investigation by Relevant Authorities

On September 1, the Korea Consumer Agency urged small business owners to be cautious, reporting a series of scam cases in which individuals impersonating agency employees approached self-employed people and induced them to make payments for goods on the condition of purchasing other products.

A business card used by an individual impersonating an employee of the Korea Consumer Agency. The employee name, department name, phone and fax numbers, and email address have no relation to the Consumer Agency. Provided by the Consumer Agency

According to the Consumer Agency, those impersonating its employees called flower shops and horticultural farms, saying, "I am an employee of the Korea Consumer Agency and would like to purchase trees and flowerpots in bulk," and requested a price quote. When small business owners showed interest, the scammers gained their trust by sending business cards printed with the agency’s corporate identity, website, and address. They then had the owners sign a purchase agreement or induced them to make proxy purchases by saying, "If you buy red ginseng or plum extract on my behalf, I will pay you later."

A representative from the Consumer Agency stated, "It seems that scams exploiting the desperate circumstances of small business owners during these difficult economic times continue to occur." The representative emphasized, "Public institutions never ask for proxy payments to purchase goods," and urged business owners never to comply with such requests so that no innocent small business owner becomes a victim. The agency also recommended verifying the identity of anyone claiming to be a Consumer Agency employee by calling the official agency phone number.

The Consumer Agency announced that it will request an investigation by relevant authorities regarding these impersonation scams. It also asked that anyone who suffers financial damage due to impersonation of a public institution report it immediately to their local police station.