Japan police report cryptocurrency fraud totalling ¥29 million

The Shiga Prefectural Police in Nagahama city announced that a 37‑year‑old part‑time employee was defrauded of about ¥8.1 million after being approached on social media and promised guaranteed monthly returns from cryptocurrency investments. The victim transferred the money to addresses specified by the scammers via LINE by March 21, and the case is being investigated as a special fraud incident.

In Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture, the Utsunomiya Central Police reported that a 71‑year‑old unemployed woman claimed to have lost approximately ¥21 million in a similar cryptocurrency investment scheme. Police are treating the case as a special fraud and are conducting investigations. Both incidents involve scammers posing as Japanese men on LINE and claiming that crypto assets generate regular profits.