NAGASAKI (TR) – A woman in her 80s in Hirado City fell victim to telephone fraudsters earlier this year, which resulted in the loss of pure gold worth around 400 million yen, police said, reports the Yomiuri Shimbun (Dec. 13).
In mid-August, the woman received a phone call to her landline. The female voice said, “Your bankbook and cell phone have been used for a crime. You will be charged with fraud.”
She later received a phone call from a man claiming to be from the Public Prosecutor’s Office. Another caller claimed to be from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police.
She was then interrogated her over the phone, whereby she was forced to disclose personal information, such as her date of birth and assets.
Following the perpetrators’ instructions, the woman purchased 17 kilograms in pure gold ingots, which were gold bars made by pouring molten metal into a mold and solidifying it.
Between late August and early December, a man visited her home three times, collecting gold bars each time.
According to prefectural police, this is the largest such fraud case in the prefecture.
