Retired Inspector from Japan’s First Investigative Division Publishes Book Exposing New Type of Fraud Techniques Used by Scams Impersonating Police Officers
Japan has been suffering from financial fraud cases in recent years, similar to Taiwan. The monetary losses caused by new types of special fraud cases have surged from 28.2 billion yen in 2021 to 45.26 billion yen in 2023, with the elderly being the primary targets of these fraud groups, just as in Taiwan.
Recently, retired detective Satoshi Sasaki of the Japan National Police Agency published a book exposing the new scripts used by fraud groups. As a retired police officer, Sasaki is skilled in analyzing communication data and fraud cases, achieving significant results. He frequently appears on television programs to share insights and conducts lectures to promote how to prevent fraud. His new book, Dark Side of Part-time Jobs, Robbery, and Special Fraud: Protect Yourself from Crime Now, reveals the three major new types of criminal methods employed by crime groups, including illegal part-time job robberies, special fraud, and international romance scams.
Impersonating Law Enforcement, Using Fear to Scam
The tactics of fraud groups are constantly evolving. Their opening lines when calling the elderly have also changed; they no longer say “Hello! It’s me” or play guessing games but instead ask directly, “Are you so-and-so? I am a police officer.” This impersonation of police officers is particularly effective for elderly individuals who have reduced social interaction, making them more susceptible to realistic scripts that lead to deception.
Fraudsters no longer impersonate acquaintances but instead specialize in pretending to be police officers or officials. Since most people rarely receive calls from the police, coupled with the realistic dialogue, elderly individuals can easily fall into the traps of fraud after receiving just a few calls.
The most adept tactic of the fake police is to create fear to intimidate victims. They claim to be police officers or prosecutors and tell victims that their bank accounts have been frozen due to misuse by criminals, urging them to provide their bank account numbers, ATM cards, and passwords. The impersonating fraud group assures victims that they can help recover lost money. Some scripts involve fake prosecutors notifying victims that they have violated laws, demanding they pay bail, which leads many individuals to part with large sums of money.
The members of fraud groups operate as organized crime, with different roles played by members as police officers, lawyers, and prosecutors to brainwash and confuse victims. A well-known Taiwanese artist, Tien Ai-Chen, was tricked by such tactics, humorously stating that despite performing for a lifetime, the fraud group acted better than she ever could.
An 18-Year-Old Man from Taiwan Pretends to Be a Police Officer to Scam a 90-Year-Old Woman in Japan
Recently, Osaka police arrested a suspect who flew from Taiwan to Japan to commit fraud. The 18-year-old Taiwanese man impersonated a Japanese police officer and demanded cash from a 90-year-old woman. While the elderly woman was preparing to withdraw money from the bank, Japanese police apprehended the man on the spot. Alongside him was a 60-year-old accomplice who had been deceived into becoming a getaway driver. The case is peculiar as it marks Osaka’s first instance of a fraudster manipulating a third party to act as a driver, and the investigation is ongoing.
How to Prevent and Identify Fraud?
Sasaki often poses a question to participants during crime prevention lectures: What should you do if you receive a call from the police? He believes that since the public rarely receives calls from the police, they may feel surprised when they do. As they listen, they can easily be lured into a trap, lowering their guard. Sasaki reminds the public not to take the caller’s claim of being a police officer at face value. It is advisable to hang up, check the incoming number, and not to call back any contact numbers or extensions provided by the caller; instead, use publicly available police station numbers to verify the legitimacy of the call.
A friend of the author shared a story of his father, a retired police officer, who was also deceived by a fake prosecutor. The impostor brought forged court documents and tricked his 70-year-old father, a former detective, into losing over 10 million in retirement savings, shocking the entire family with the refined tactics of Taiwanese fraud groups. Similarly, artist Tien Ai-Chen was also duped by fake documents and a group of skilled actors, losing nearly one million dollars. Fortunately, she realized the fraud during a second transfer and, along with her daughter Ouyang Jing, bravely shared her victim experience. Fraud groups frequently target the elderly, and relatives should pay more attention to the daily lives of their elderly family members to help establish protective barriers against fraud, safeguarding the family’s assets and safety.
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