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dairyairy
Joined: 17 May 2012
Location: South Korea
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 Posted: Thu Aug 08, 2013 2:43 pm Post subject: Fake public servants swindle cigarette butt litterers |
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Make them show you ID and tell you why they want your information.
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2013/08/116_140731.html
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Smokers should be on the lookout for fraudsters issuing tickets to people who drop cigarette butts on the streets.
On July 27, a 29-year-old office worker with the surname Lee, was caught throwing away a cigarette butt in front of Seocho Subway Station in southern Seoul.
“I felt it was weird that a middle-aged man was eyeing me when I took a cigarette pack out from my pocket,” Lee said.
The man, clad in a yellow vest, approached him and issued a ticket, saying, “You were caught in the act.”
Scared by the remark, Lee didn’t ask the man to show him an ID card or other form of authentication to prove he was an authorized public servant.
He gave Lee the ticket and told him to send 30,000 won ($26. as a fine to an account shown on the ticket.
However, when Lee checked whether his apparent misdemeanor was registered at the district office, it was not on the list of fines issued and found out the man was a fraudster.
Many people are complaining that they have been swindled by the new type of phishing scam.
Some fraudsters steal personal information, such as ID and phone numbers.
Another victim (sun****) wrote on the portal site Naver that two middle-aged men collected his name, phone number and ID number for littering the street with a cigarette butt after saying, “you were caught in the act.”
Also, he was not suspicious because he felt guilty, but later found that he had been swindled.
Under the user’s posting, many others shared their experiences of having been swindled or suspicions about fraudsters.
District offices employ public servants to crack down on cigarette littering. But according to the Seocho District Office, these people are required to wear authenticating armbands and carry identification.
Once a misdemeanor is committed, an authorized officer issues a ticket and orders the person to wire 30,000 won to 50,000 won to a virtual payment account created under the person’s name.
However, authentications proving their identity could be easily fabricated, fraud victims are usually not aware of how the process of issuing fines and which people are in charge.
Meanwhile, others point out that legitimate officers should be very clear about proving their identity.
A 23-year-old collegian surnamed Huh said she was fined by an official from Dongdaemun District Office for littering with cigarette butts a month ago, but the person who issued the fine did not clearly identify herself.
“Since littering was my fault, I cannot say it is unfair. But at least the officer should have shown me her ID clearly and notified me about why I have to pay fines,” Huh said.
Lee and Huh said that the number of victims such as Lee might increase because the government aims to also increase the number of crackdowns on smoking in smoke-free zones, as a part of a stronger push on anti-smoking regulations.
An official at Dongdaemun District Office’s health policy department said that departments in charge of smoking and littering are different, but the crackdown procedure proceeds in a similar way.
Victims argue that there are loopholes in the government’s crackdown on misdemeanors and that authentication of officers should be explicitly clear.
An official at Seocho District Office said, “Once you are ticketed, you can confirm it with the district office in charge, and pay extra caution before they pay fines.”
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andrewchon
Joined: 16 Nov 2008
Location: Back in Oz. Living in ISIS Aust.
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| Posted: Thu Aug 08, 2013 9:43 pm Post subject: |
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I don't think this will eradicate the culture of re-solving disputes with golden handshakes.  |
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cdninkorea
Joined: 27 Jan 2006
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Wed Aug 28, 2013 11:54 am Post subject: |
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| I didn't know it was illegal to throw your cigarette butt on the street in Korea (I don't smoke so I've never really thought about it, but with all the butts everywhere...) |
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optik404
Joined: 24 Jun 2008
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| Posted: Wed Aug 28, 2013 3:17 pm Post subject: |
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| cdninkorea wrote: |
| I didn't know it was illegal to throw your cigarette butt on the street in Korea (I don't smoke so I've never really thought about it, but with all the butts everywhere...) |
It is illegal and you can be fined. But so is driving your scooter/motorcycle on the sidewalk. |
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ATM SPIDERTAO
Joined: 05 Jul 2009
Location: seoul, south korea
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| Posted: Wed Aug 28, 2013 3:23 pm Post subject: |
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[quote="optik404"][quote="cdninkorea"]I didn't know it was illegal to throw your cigarette butt on the street in Korea (I don't smoke so I've never really thought about it, but with all the butts everywhere...)[/quote]
It is illegal and you can be fined. But so is driving your scooter/motorcycle on the sidewalk.[/quote]
LOL NOOOOO WAY
seriously?
i think i get way more dirty looks throwing away my empty drink bottle on the streets than when i drive on the sidewalks with my motorcycle hahaha |
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alongway
Joined: 02 Jan 2012
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| Posted: Wed Aug 28, 2013 3:34 pm Post subject: |
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| cdninkorea wrote: |
| I didn't know it was illegal to throw your cigarette butt on the street in Korea (I don't smoke so I've never really thought about it, but with all the butts everywhere...) |
It's illegal in just about any country, but I haven't lived in one that actually enforces it. I always maintained back home that they could solve the employment crisis by hiring all the homeless unemployed people as bylaw officers and have them stand outside convenience stores, bus stops, etc and just write tickets for cigarette butts all day long. |
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andrewchon
Joined: 16 Nov 2008
Location: Back in Oz. Living in ISIS Aust.
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| Posted: Wed Aug 28, 2013 3:58 pm Post subject: |
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| Littering is prevalent in Korea BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUT, in GangNam it is enforced. They need to feel they are special, I suppose. |
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