Japan faces surge in SNS investment fraud totaling 79.8 billion yen

Investment fraud via social media is surging in Japan, with damages reaching approximately 79.8 billion yen in the first half of 2026. This represents a 2.3-fold increase compared to the same period last year. These scams often involve impersonating celebrities or financial experts through fraudulent advertisements to lure victims into fake investment schemes, frequently via direct messages and LINE.

In response, seven government agencies, including the Digital Agency and the National Police Agency, have issued a joint request to five major social media companies to strengthen measures against impersonation advertisements. The high average loss per victim, estimated at roughly 13.63 million yen, has made this type of fraud the leading method of specialized fraud by total damage amount.

In a separate local incident, a man from Nakama City, Fukuoka Prefecture, was arrested on suspicion of fraud after allegedly deceiving an elderly woman out of 1 million yen by posing as her son.