Online Scams & Fraud in Japan

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April 27, 2023

In Japan, dating scams have continued to be the most common scam with 63% of Japanese scam cases related to online dating scams. The other common scams are online shopping scams and investment scams.

Stakeholders have stepped up efforts to fight scams with both the government and consumer authorities increasing surveillance and reporting mechanisms. So, where can you report a scam in Japan? Read on to find out this and much more including how to check for scams in Japan.

Scam Statistics in Japan

The key statistics on online fraud in Japan, according to the Global Anti Scam Alliance.

  2018 2019 2020 2021
Population 126.8 million 126.2 million 126 Million  126  million
Internet Penetration 96% 92% 94% 93%
# of Scams  126, 000 16,851 40,581 581,943
Scams / 1,000 1 0.1 0.4 4.63
Money Lost € 8.2 million € 199 million € 217 million € 406.8 Million
Money Lost / Capita € 0.06 € 1.58 € 1.72 €  € 7.3
Money Lost / Report € 65.8 € 11,809 €  5,343 € 698.59

The figures in the table will differ strongly per year as various sources have been used, pending on availability.

Where Can I Report a Scam in Japan?

How to Report a Scam in Japan

Reporting a scam is crucial. At the moment, only 7% of all scams are reported. As a result, only 0.05% of all cybercriminals are caught. Reporting online fraud is not only essential if you want to try and get your money back. It is also needed to help law enforcement fight scammers better.

  • Gather info: Collect all information about the suspected fraud including the name, telephone, key web pages, emails, IP address, and any other information relevant. This is needed to file a complete report.
  • Report the incident: Always report to your local law enforcement and note the file number they might provide for your fraud report for future reference.
  • Stop the Money: Report the incident to the financial institution that transferred the money such as your bank, Paypal, credit card company, or the Internet payment service provider.
  • Protect yourself: Scammers often contact you again. Sometimes with the same scam. Sometimes to help you “recover your money”. Consider changing your email address/phone number. Also, install the ScamAdviser browser extension to warn you of scams.
     

Our article “How and Where to Report a Scam” gives you more detail and tips on how you can best report online fraud.

Scam Victim Support in Japan

  • Police Support for - Crime Victims: They offer telephone councelling anc can be reached through 9110.
  • Japanese Legal Support Center: You can reach out to them for legal advice through 0120-079714 for Japanese speakers or 0570-078377 for Non-Japanese speakers. 

How to Check for a Scam in Japan

Of course, you can always check for scams on ScamAdviser.com. However, there are several other sources where you can check if a website is registered as a company and if it can offer financial, gambling, or other regulated services as well.

  • The Japan Exchange Group- As the body responsible for investment and trading in Japan, you can always check for investment scams here.
  • Anti-Phishing Japan- As the name suggests, they are concerned with phishing scams in Japan and you can always check them out.
  • The Japan Consumer Credit Association- They are concerned with the credit card scams and collect data on card fraud across Japan.
  • Sagicheck- You can check any website here as they provide relevant information about a site.

Anti-Scam Organizations & Consumer Authorities

Popular Scams in Japan

The Targeted Elderly Scams

With senior citizens holding an estimated ¥2,000 trillion, its clear to see why they are often targeted by fraudsters. In one case, a 88-year-old Nagoya resident lost close to  ¥1.5 million to scammers who called claiming to be a doctor from Nagoya University Hospital.

The fraudster claimed that the victim’s son was admitted with a hemorrhaging in his throat and asked if there is a family history of throat cancer in their family. In the scheme which also involved other actors, the victim quickly withdrwe money from 3 savings account and sent to the caller without knowing they are scammers.

With elderly persons living alone quickly increasing, there is need for family members to safeguard their elderly parent’s assets.

Scam News From Japan

Image source: unsplash.com

Report a Scam!

Have you fallen for a hoax, bought a fake product? Report the site and warn others!

Help & Info

Popular Stories

As the influence of the internet rises, so does the prevalence of online scams. There are fraudsters making all kinds of claims to trap victims online - from fake investment opportunities to online stores - and the internet allows them to operate from any part of the world with anonymity. The ability to spot online scams is an important skill to have as the virtual world is increasingly becoming a part of every facet of our lives. The below tips will help you identify the signs which can indicate that a website could be a scam. Common Sense: Too Good To Be True When looking for goods online, a great deal can be very enticing. A Gucci bag or a new iPhone for half the price? Who wouldn’t want to grab such a deal? Scammers know this too and try to take advantage of the fact. If an online deal looks too good to be true, think twice and double-check things. The easiest way to do this is to simply check out the same product at competing websites (that you trust). If the difference in prices is huge, it might be better to double-check the rest of the website. Check Out the Social Media Links Social media is a core part of ecommerce businesses these days and consumers often expect online shops to have a social media presence. Scammers know this and often insert logos of social media sites on their websites. Scratching beneath the surface often reveals this fu

So the worst has come to pass - you realise you parted with your money too fast, and the site you used was a scam - what now? Well first of all, don’t despair!! If you think you have been scammed, the first port of call when having an issue is to simply ask for a refund. This is the first and easiest step to determine whether you are dealing with a genuine company or scammers. Sadly, getting your money back from a scammer is not as simple as just asking.  If you are indeed dealing with scammers, the procedure (and chance) of getting your money back varies depending on the payment method you used. PayPal Debit card/Credit card Bank transfer Wire transfer Google Pay Bitcoin PayPal If you used PayPal, you have a strong chance of getting your money back if you were scammed. On their website, you can file a dispute within 180 calendar days of your purchase. Conditions to file a dispute: The simplest situation is that you ordered from an online store and it has not arrived. In this case this is what PayPal states: "If your order never shows up and the seller can't provide proof of shipment or delivery, you'll get a full refund. It's that simple." The scammer has sent you a completely different item. For example, you ordered a PlayStation 4, but instead received only a Playstation controller.  The condition of the item was misrepresented on the product page. This could be the