CHIBA (TR) – Police here have arrested a 29-year-old man for allegedly swindling a self-employed man in his 60s and others out of more than 100 million yen in cryptocurrency in a brazen, two-stage fraud scheme, reports Nippon News Network (May 15).
Last year, Takanaga Tatebe is believed to have acted as the “executor” for a fraud ring that targeted a male resident of Funabashi City, Chiba Prefecture.
During police questioning, Tatebe offered a partial confession. While he admits to operating the victim’s computer to siphon the funds, he denies the initial allegation of tricking the man into purchasing the cryptocurrency in the first place.
According to police, Tatebe and his accomplices initially posed as representatives from legitimate financial institutions to coax the victim into purchasing large amounts of digital assets.
In a twisted follow-up, Tatebe then contacted the victim again, warning him, “You might be the victim of a scam.” Feigning concern, Tatebe offered his assistance to “save” the assets.
Under the guise of helping, he took direct control of the victim’s computer and quietly transferred 104 million yen in cryptocurrency into his own accounts.
Police are continuing their investigation into the broader fraud ring.
