TOKYO (TR) – Law enforcement divisions in Tokyo are continuing to target criminals who swindle persons out of their bank card by posing as their relatives or officials on the telephone, reports TV Asahi (Oct. 18).
Last month, a woman aged in her 70s and living in Edogawa Ward, was told on the telephone by a person impersonating a department store employee that her credit cards issued by the store needed to be reissued sine they were being abused by a third party.
Toshiyuki Sekiguchi, 42, later arrived at the woman’s residence and allegedly collected three cards.
Upon his arrest, Sekiguchi admitted to police that he was working as a subordinate member of a fraud ring. “I have money troubles,” the suspect told police.
The matter came to light after the victim contacted the department store.
Chiyoda Ward HQ raided
In a separate case, Junichi Misawa, 42, allegedly received three bank cards from a woman residing in Koganei City after a person posing a police officer on the telephone told her that a member of a fraud ring under arrest has possession of her personal information.
Misawa is believed to be a member of a fraud ring operating out of headquarters in Chiyoda Ward. A raid of the office revealed 20 mobile phones and lists of the names of women living in Nerima Ward.
Misawa, who was arrested along with four other persons on suspicion of fraud, has declined to comment on the allegations.
The ring is believed to have defrauded persons in the metropolis out of 490 million yen this year.
