Impersonation scams in Japan use fake police tactics to deceive victims

Fraudulent groups in Japan are employing increasingly sophisticated tactics to impersonate postal workers and police officers. In a recent incident in Asahikawa, Hokkaido, a 71-year-old man was targeted by a caller claiming to be a postal worker who reported finding seven stolen My Number cards in a package. This was immediately followed by a call from a man claiming to be from the Fukuoka Prefectural Police, who used staged radio communications to simulate a high-stakes criminal investigation involving money laundering.

The perpetrator used a deceptive, empathetic tone to build trust, even pretending to protect the victim from harsh police measures. The man avoided financial loss by recording the calls and later contacting the police consultation hotline, #9110.

A survey by Tobira Systems Co., Ltd. regarding these impersonation scams reveals that while nearly 93% of respondents were aware of such fraud, approximately 37.5% still believed the callers were genuine at some point during the conversation. The primary reasons for being deceived included emotional distress caused by mentions of arrests and the scammers' possession of the victim's personal information, such as names and addresses.