Woowahan Cheongnyeondeul, which handles delivery logistics services for Baedal Minjok, is strengthening its management system from Baemin Connect sign-up to operations and settlement to prevent illegal deliveries using accounts under other people’s names.

Woowahan Cheongnyeondeul said on Tuesday it is implementing step-by-step improvement measures to prevent identity theft and illegal deliveries.

The measures were prepared to reflect calls for improvements related to issues raised during this year’s parliamentary audit, including cases in which foreigners without work eligibility make deliveries using accounts under other people’s names.

Woowahan Cheongnyeondeul has already applied measures at the Baemin Connect sign-up stage to prevent identity theft. Since 2018, it has blocked duplicate registrations under a one-person, one-account principle. Since 2020, it has also restricted multiple devices from logging into a single account at the same time.

This time, it is expanding the scope of management to cover cases in which an account is transferred to someone else or stolen after registration.

Since August, it has made PASS identity verification mandatory when changing a mobile phone number. From December, it plans to constantly check for abnormal usage patterns and identify accounts suspected of identity theft.

Identity theft detected twice will lead to termination of partner agency contracts.

It is also tightening management standards for partner delivery agencies.

Since June, Woowahan Cheongnyeondeul has been providing partner agencies each month with relevant laws and preventive training materials covering criminal record checks, licence validity, commercial transport insurance and a ban on lending names.

From this month, when a report is received related to a rider affiliated with a partner agency, it will also check whether facts were verified and review the results of follow-up measures.

It also detailed standards for sanctions over identity theft. In January, it specified in delivery agency consignment contracts partner agencies’ responsibility to manage identity theft and grounds for contract termination. From this month, it applies a principle of corrective measures upon a first identity theft detection and contract termination upon a second detection.

It applies the same standards regardless of whether a partner agency knew about the identity theft. If identity theft is deliberately led or repeated, it will immediately terminate the contract and consider legal action such as filing a criminal complaint.

It will also respond to illegal recruitment of riders through SNS. From December, it will add an item to its reporting channel allowing tips on illegal recruitment posts, and will sanction any related partner agency in accordance with contracts.

In the first half of next year, it plans to pursue deletion measures for illegal recruitment posts following legal review.

It will also pursue the introduction of a “safe settlement service” linked with the financial sector in the first half of next year.

The move is aimed at preventing non-payment of delivery fees for riders working through partner agencies and ensuring delivery fees are paid to the rider who actually carried out the delivery.

It is reviewing a plan to operate an escrow system in which a bank holds settlement funds and riders receive payments directly into their own accounts.

It plans to review introducing identity verification methods using biometric information such as facial recognition if a relevant inter-ministerial system is established.

A Woowahan Cheongnyeondeul official said it is gradually strengthening an identity theft prevention system it has operated, from sign-up to settlement. The official added it will cooperate with relevant organisations, including by pursuing the introduction of a safe settlement service linked with the financial sector next year.