Japan Scam Report 2026 reveals rising fraud anxiety

The Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA), in collaboration with Gogolook, has released the ‘State of Scams Report 2026 - Japan’. The survey of 1,200 residents aged 18 and older reveals that 22% of respondents encountered suspected scams in the past 12 months.

While the percentage of people encountering scams decreased from the previous year's 38%, anxiety regarding fraud has risen, with 45% of respondents expressing concern. Notably, 53% of those who encountered a scam responded to it in some way, such as reading the message, answering the call, or clicking a link. Among those who reacted, 21% reported losing money or personal information.

Common contact methods included email (55%), SMS (43%), and telephone (43%). Approximately 59% of encounters occurred via services with direct messaging capabilities, with Gmail, X, Instagram, and LINE identified as the most frequent platforms used by scammers. The report highlights that while many people report scams to friends or family, only 18% reported them to the police.