Contrary to social media rumors, mail notices bearing bar codes and instructions for people to pay fines or fees at convenience stores are genuine official documents, according to the Ministry of Justice’s Administrative Enforcement Agency.
The allegation that the notices are part of a scam seems to have started in Taichung, said Chou Jung-kuang (周榮光), an official at the agency’s Taichung office.
After scribbling the words “beware of scammers” over a payment notice, an unidentified person posted it on an apartment bulletin board and a photograph of the notice went viral on social media, he said.
After becoming aware of the rumor, the Taichung branch found the building where the image of the notice had been taken and identified the woman to whom the notice was addressed, but she denied posting it on the bulletin board, Chou added.
The notice in question is genuine and the agency has for some time authorized various convenience stores to accept certain types of late payments under NT$20,000, including customs duties, National Health Insurance fees and labor insurance subscriptions, Chou said.
Paying fines and fees at convenience stores expedites the process for the public, he said, adding that payment systems need to pass stringent security tests before being authorized for use.
“In general, the fact that a convenience store can process the bar code makes it unlikely that the notice is a scam, because convenience franchises are not likely to enter into deals with fraudulent groups,” Chou said.
However, if a member of the public receives a notice bearing an invalid bar code, they should not pay it until they have confirmed the notice’s validity with an agency official, he said.
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