A Residence Registration Number Fraud Awareness Campaign

“I want to find out how my resident registration number was used in the past, but the service site won’t open,” said one internet user.

On March 13, the second day of the “Clean Use of Residence Registration Number” campaign hosted by the Ministry of Government Administration and Home Affairs, the main page of the website for the campaign was overloaded with visitors, making it difficult even to open the page. Users of the service amounted to 220,000 as of 3 p.m. The following is a summarized FAQ regarding how to use the new service.

Q: Any pre-requirements for using the new service?

A: You have to type in a verification certificate number issued by a public verification institution such as Korea Financial Telecommunications and Clearings Institute or your credit card number and password so that any misappropriation can be avoided. You will not be covered by the service if you don’t have a verification certificate or a credit card.

Q: Isn’t it possible that the private information will be hacked again over the course of finding out the history of the resident registration number use?

A: The credit rating information institution participating in this campaign has a security system as good as those of financial institutions. We’ve also paid attention to the security of the main page of the website. You only need to input the minimum required information to confirm you are not being misrepresented, so there is no worry.

Q: The result of the inquiry tells me I had registered as a member of websites I don’t remember having done. What can I do?

A: It is recommended that you first ask your family members whether they have used your resident registration number before. Also, some people fail to recognize the site due to the difference between the names of the website and of the actual company.

Q: How do I withdraw from websites I don’t want?

A: The main site does not provide you with the ability to clear your accounts, but you can e-mail the information master or the client center of the websites concerned. However, in case the website no longer exists or belongs to a company which is not a member of the Korea Internet Association, you have to make a direct request for withdrawal. Usually, you can withdraw yourself from the website online at your request if you remember your ID and password, but when you don’t remember, you have to verify yourself by means of a phone call or a fax message.

Q: What if I have a reason to think that my resident registration number has been misappropriated illegally?

A: You should report your fears immediately to the cyber inspectors of the National Police Agency (www.cybercrime.go.kr) and request an investigation. The amended Resident Registration Act states that one who misappropriates the resident registration number of another person can go to jail for three years or pay a fine of up to 10 million won.

kimkihy@donga.com