Impersonating Public Officials for Goods Purchase Fraud in Yeosu
A fraud case involving the use of forged official documents for purchasing goods has occurred in Yeosu, South Jeolla Province.
According to Yonhap News Agency and the Yeosu city government on November 8, a customer visited a gimbap restaurant on November 7, introduced himself as an employee of the city’s Culture and Arts Division, and placed an order for 300 rolls of gimbap.
This man presented a fake official document titled “2025 Fireworks Festival Survey Beverage” and asked the restaurant owner to purchase beverages on his behalf.
The document stated that a budget had been approved for buying beverages to be provided to citizens participating in the fireworks festival survey held that day, and even included a forged seal of the Yeosu mayor.
The restaurant owner, believing the request was genuine, was reportedly deceived into transferring 6 million won as payment for the beverages.
The Yeosu city government believes that the fraudster reassured the small business owner by placing a large order for gimbap, then used the pretext of budget processing to request a proxy purchase and steal the money.
A Yeosu city official said, “There have been a series of scams targeting small business owners, with perpetrators impersonating specific city departments via phone calls, text messages, or messengers,” and urged the public to exercise particular caution.
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