Tokyo Police warn of new scam involving police impersonation and theft

The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department has issued a warning regarding a new theft method attributed to anonymous or mobile criminal groups, known as ‘Tokuryu’. In a recent incident in Machida, an elderly woman lost 1 million yen after being manipulated by scammers impersonating postal workers and police officers.

The scam began with a call from someone claiming to be a postal worker, alleging suspicious mail was being sent to Hong Kong. This was followed by calls from individuals posing as Shizuoka Prefectural Police officers. The scammers claimed the victim's personal information was being misused and instructed her to hide her cash and valuables in the refrigerator for safety, claiming thieves would not look there.

After monitoring the victim's schedule through daily calls, the perpetrators broke into her home while she was out and stole the cash from the refrigerator. Police emphasized that law enforcement officers never advise citizens to consolidate valuables in a single location like a refrigerator and urged the public to remain vigilant against unsolicited calls.