TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a 60-year-old man from Kanagawa Prefecture who is suspected of collecting money defrauded in a fictitious investment scheme, reports Fuji News Network (Feb. 19).
Between October last year and January this year, Masakazu Warabi is accused of conspiring with an accomplice to defraud a man in his 60s from Tokyo’s Chiyoda Ward of 17.5 million yen in cash by offering him a fictitious stock investment scheme.
Upon his arrest on suspicion of fraud, Warabi, who lives in Zama City, Kanagawa, admitted to the allegations. “I collected the cash,” he said.
According to police, the victim joined a chat group offering advice on the fictitious stock investment after seeing an online advertisement.
A person posing as a securities company employee allegedly handed the cash obtained from the victim to Warabi, whose role was as the recipient (ukeko) of the defrauded funds. The accomplice said, “If you do as you’re told, you’ll make a profit.”
Police are continuing the investigation, including analyzing a seized smartphone.
