Fake "Provincial Government Document" Targeting Accommodation Businesses Emerges... Gyeonggi Province Issues Warning

The Gyeonggi Provincial Government has recently confirmed an attempted scam in which a fake official document, falsely bearing the name of the Provincial Safety Planning Division, was used to demand money from accommodation businesses. The provincial government is urging residents to exercise particular caution.

The fraudulent document is titled "Notice of Change in Payment Method for Fire Prevention Equipment Subsidies for Lodging Facilities" and arbitrarily uses the name, document number, and official seal format of the Gyeonggi Provincial Government.

The document claims that if lodging businesses pre-purchase and install items such as sprinklers, firefighter heat protection suits, or electric vehicle asphyxiation extinguishing blankets, the government will later reimburse the subsidy to their business accounts.

In particular, the fake document mentions potential administrative penalties such as "fines for non-installation detected," "business suspension," or "closure of the business," aiming to create anxiety among business owners. It also induces financial damage by stating that the subsidy will be deposited after submission of transaction statements and tax invoices.

The Provincial Safety Planning Division clarified that it has never sent such documents and has never instructed accommodation businesses to prepay for firefighting equipment or to purchase specific items.

Gyeonggi Provincial Government

The Gyeonggi Provincial Government is advising accommodation operators that, if they receive similar documents or are asked to purchase goods or transfer funds for reasons such as fire safety equipment subsidies, reimbursements, or grants, they should never comply and should report the matter to the Provincial Safety Planning Division or the local police station.

In addition, if there is any doubt about the authenticity of an official document, operators are advised not to contact the number listed in the document directly, but rather to verify the department's contact information through the official main number of the Gyeonggi Provincial Government or the official website.

A provincial official emphasized, "Residents and business operators should always verify the authenticity if a document in official format requests the transfer of funds or the purchase of goods, to avoid falling victim to scams."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.