Japan sees surge in specialized fraud targeting individuals

Multiple specialized fraud incidents involving impersonation of police, prosecutors, and government officials have been reported across several Japanese prefectures, targeting elderly individuals and professionals.

In Oita, a woman in her 70s lost approximately 45 million yen after being coerced into purchasing cryptocurrency under the guise of a criminal investigation. Similarly, in Kyoto, a 42-year-old employee was defrauded of 31.5 million yen in cryptocurrency after being falsely accused of money laundering.

Other reported cases include a 68-year-old woman in Shiga who lost 5.2 million yen to scammers posing as pension officials, and a 76-year-old woman in Otsu who was tricked into paying 5.3 million yen by individuals claiming to be her daughter. In Ehime, a 20-year-old man was arrested in the act while attempting to steal 7 million yen from a woman in her 70s by claiming she needed to prove her innocence to the police.