Japan police arrest seniors fraud suspects in two major scams

Tokyo Metropolitan Police arrested a 70‑year‑old former insurance agency manager, Kikuchi Katsuyuki, suspected of selling a non‑existent “special retirement insurance” to a woman in her 70s and fraudulently obtaining about ¥10 million, with total alleged illegal proceeds of roughly ¥43 million.

Separately, authorities detained the alleged head of a “receiver” fraud group, Inoue Atsushi, 52, and a senior operative, Hayashi Ryuji, 31, accused of using familial pretenses to swindle ¥550 million from an 80‑year‑old man and, overall, defrauding about ¥200 million from 28 elderly victims. Both cases are part of a wider crackdown on special fraud targeting Japan’s older population, with investigations ongoing.