Blocking Military Impersonation Scams... "Military Identity Verification Service" Established

Establishment of a New Service Within the Defense Help Call Center

The Ministry of National Defense Investigation Headquarters announced on May 14 that it has established a "Military Identity Verification Service" within the Defense Help Call Center and will operate it 24 hours a day in response to the recent nationwide spread of impersonation scams and no-show crimes involving individuals posing as military personnel.

This measure comes as crimes involving impersonators ordering large quantities of food from restaurants without showing up, or using fake official documents and forged government IDs under the name of military units to cause financial losses, are increasing across the country. In particular, there have been ongoing cases where suppliers of vending machines, bottled water, and snacks are tricked into making proxy payments or advance deposits under the pretense of "unit events" or "officer gatherings."

Ministry of National Defense, Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jinhyung

According to the National Police Agency, since last year, there have been approximately 400 reported cases of military impersonation scams, with damages amounting to 5.7 billion won. Substantial losses ranging from several million to several tens of millions of won have occurred in various regions nationwide, including Cheongju in North Chungcheong Province, Gumi in North Gyeongsang Province, and Ulsan.

In response, the Investigation Headquarters has established a system that allows anyone to call the Defense Help Call Center and verify in real time whether the other party is an actual member of the military. If the caller provides information such as the other person's name, rank, unit, and phone number, the center will check whether the individual is truly a service member. However, to protect personal information, detailed information about the military personnel will not be disclosed; only whether the identity is "verified" or "matches" will be communicated to the inquirer.

If the information does not match, the caller will be immediately warned about the possibility of impersonation. Even if the information matches, the center will confirm the facts with the actual service member before notifying the inquirer of the result.

Kim Seungwan, Acting Director of the Ministry of National Defense Investigation Headquarters (Army Brigadier General), stated, "Scams that exploit military identity are a serious issue that not only cause civilian harm but also undermine trust in national defense." He added, "The Investigation Headquarters will mobilize all available resources to actively combat impersonation crimes, and will ensure thorough prevention and swift follow-up actions through close cooperation with relevant agencies."

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