Request for Proxy Purchase After Sending Forged ID
In connection with the boiler tower collapse accident at the Ulsan Thermal Power Plant operated by Korea East-West Power, a series of 'no-show scam' incidents involving impersonation of public institutions have been occurring.
According to the Ulsan Metropolitan Police Agency on November 9, a safety equipment store in Ulsan received a phone call on November 7 from someone impersonating Korea East-West Power. The caller sent a forged employee ID and said, "We urgently need fire hoses. If you purchase them from the supplier I provide, we will pay you later." It has been reported that this person also sent a bank account number and requested a deposit.
On the morning of the 8th, the third day since the boiler tower collapse accident at the Ulsan Thermal Power Plant, Ulsan Power Headquarters of Korea East-West Power, search and rescue operations continue behind Boiler Tower No. 4 at the power plant, near the already collapsed No. 5 tower. Photo by Yonhap News Agency
Another incident was reported to the police when a restaurant in Ulsan received a phone call ordering 100 lunch boxes, along with a request to "purchase air mattresses on our behalf."
The police have identified this as a typical 'no-show scam' and are tracking the suspect based on the bank account and mobile phone usage information provided. In addition, to prevent further damage, police officers are visiting small business owners in person and conducting awareness campaigns through merchant associations.
A police official stated, "If you receive a large order, you should directly verify it using the public institution's official phone number and request a certain amount as a reservation deposit." The official also emphasized, "If someone asks for a bank transfer under the pretext of proxy payment, you should never make the deposit."
On November 6, at the Ulsan Thermal Power Plant, Boiler Tower No. 5, measuring 25 meters wide, 15.5 meters long, and 63 meters high, collapsed, trapping seven out of nine workers present at the site. Of the seven trapped, three were found dead.
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