“It’s a fire department, so buy supplies”… Firefighter impersonation fraud and damage increase rapidly in Gyeongnam
Quick Look
- In the Gyeongnam region, frauds impersonating fire agencies have increased rapidly, with 163 cases and 222.25 million won in damage this year.
- Compared to the previous year, the number of cases increased by about 109% and the amount of damage increased by about 320%.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Fraudulent practices are rampant in the Gyeongnam region, impersonating firefighting organizations or under the guise of government support to induce people to purchase firefighting supplies and deposit money in advance.
Recently, scams that impersonate firefighting agencies in the Gyeongnam region or encourage people to purchase or deposit firefighting supplies under the pretense of government support have been rampant, calling for special caution from residents.
According to the Gyeongnam Fire Department on the 8th, the total number of reports of fraud and suspicion regarding purchase and deposit of firefighting supplies by fire station in the province this year was 163.
This is a 109% increase compared to the previous year (78 cases).
During the same period, the amount of damage also increased by approximately 320% to 222.25 million won compared to the previous year (52.86 million won).
Moving away from the simple use of forged official documents in the past, recent phone scams under the guise of ‘mandatory installation of firefighting facilities following fake law revisions’ or ‘inquiries about government subsidies’ are the mainstay.
In particular, there are increasing cases of contacting people using mobile phone numbers instead of regular landline numbers to avoid agency verification, or forcing people to purchase firefighting supplies from unknown sources by taking advantage of projects to supply old detectors.
As a key rule to prevent damage, the Gyeongnam Fire Department does not request emergency deposits under the pretext of purchasing specific items or paying fines during fire inspections, and fire agencies do not mediate specific companies or induce the purchase of supplies, and if impersonation is suspected, call 119 or the local fire station to confirm the facts.
If you have already sent money, you must report it to the police or the Financial Supervisory Service and request relief.
Park Seung-je, head of the Prevention and Safety Division, said, "Fire departments never ask for the purchase of goods or deposit of money in any public work," and added, "Please be especially careful not to fall victim to similar impersonation crimes."
Open Questions
- Identity and arrest status of fraud culprits
- Damage relief procedures and compensation possibilities
- Additional enforcement plans to prevent fraud
