Scammers call claiming to be firefighters after ordering 1.44 million won worth of eel and being ”no-showed” at three restaurants - South Korea

There have been a series of "no-show" cases in which people claiming to be firefighters have made reservations at three eel specialty restaurants for meals worth hundreds of thousands of won, then disappeared without a trace.
According to the Jeonbuk Provincial Fire Department on the 24th, two stores in Gochang and Kimjae were involved in a fire yesterday.
Tsutsumi) One eel specialty store received a phone call from someone claiming to be from the Gwangju Fire and Safety Headquarters. The caller said, "I would like to take out eels to eat after training for new firefighters," and
The man ordered 7 kilograms of eel worth 100,000 won (approximately 50,000 yen), but no one showed up at the store, resulting in the crime. At the time, the man ordered the eel and brought a forged firefighter ID and a "materials" card.
After sending messages to store owners, such as "Confirmation of Payment for Supplies," he also made an additional request, saying, "Because the Fire Department's financial situation is not good, we would like you to purchase the supplies on our behalf."
The other two stores suspected the man and contacted the local fire department, so no one was actually harmed. At the time, the 20 kilograms of eel ordered was priced at 1.44 million won (about 1.5 million yen).
On the 21st of this month, a fraudster claiming to be from the Ulsan Fire Department requested the purchase of a ladder at a hardware store in Ulsan, and offered a first aid kit along with a forged official document.
The victim was then sent a "Confirmation of Payment for Goods" via message, and was induced to pay by credit card. However, the damage was not caused by the prompt response of the hardware store staff.
An official from the Jeonbuk Fire Department said, "Fire agencies do not ask private businesses to purchase goods on their behalf or send them purchase instructions through messages. We do not accept official documents or transaction requests of unclear origin.
"You should always check with the relevant authorities," he said, adding, "If you find any similar cases or receive any suspicious contact, please report it immediately to the police or fire department."
Police plan to investigate cases of deliberate "no-show" fraud under charges of obstruction of business, etc. The obstruction of business charge is punishable by up to five years in prison or 1,500 yen.
The offender will be fined up to 10,000 won (approximately 1.5 million yen).