Japan sees two special fraud cases: 51 million‑yen romance crypto scam and 1 million‑yen police‑impersonation theft

A woman in her 60s living in western Shimane Prefecture was targeted through a dating app. Believing a romance partner’s claim, she transferred crypto assets worth about ¥51.5 million to a designated address between May 8 and May 25, following instructions to convert the crypto to cash. Police are investigating the incident as a romance‑fraud case involving cryptocurrency.

In Aomori Prefecture, a man in his 30s received phone calls from individuals posing as a post office worker and a police officer named “Sasaki Daisuke.” The callers claimed his name was linked to illegal shipments abroad and warned of potential arrest, demanding a ¥1 million bail. He wired the amount to an account indicated by the impostor via online banking before realizing the fraud.