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2 clusters · 4 sources · 17 days · First seen 25 days ago · Last updated 8 days ago

Impersonation fraud in Japan

Overview

Fraudulent schemes involving the impersonation of police officers, prosecutors, and other officials have been reported across multiple Japanese prefectures.

In Kochi Prefecture, authorities reported that since the beginning of 2026, 28 cases of police impersonation fraud have resulted in damages exceeding 300 million yen. Victims have been coerced into transferring large sums of money under the false pretense of clearing their names from money laundering investigations or arrest warrants.

In Aomori Prefecture, a similar sophisticated scheme was documented where a victim was contacted by individuals posing as postal workers and police officers. The perpetrators used the Signal messaging app and forged identification to convince the victim to transfer 2 million yen for an alleged asset investigation.

Entities

Hachinohe Police Station · Kochi Prefectural Police · Utsunomiya Central Police Station

Timeline

8 days ago

[CRIME] 4 sources
Aomori man loses 2 million yen to sophisticated fraud scam
A man in Aomori Prefecture lost 2 million yen to a special fraud scam involving impersonators of postal workers and police officers using the Signal app.
25 days ago

[CRIME] 3 sources
Kochi police impersonation scams exceed 300 million yen in damages
Police impersonation scams in Kochi Prefecture have caused over 300 million yen in damages this year, with recent victims losing millions after being told to transfer funds to clear their names.

Sources

fnn.jp · kyoto-np.co.jp · shimotsuke.co.jp · toonippo.co.jp