TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested aTaiwanese woman on suspicion of fraud after they allegedly posed as investment firm employees to swindle an elderly woman out of cash in an elaborate, AI-driven syndicate scam, reports the Nikkei Shimbun (July 14).
Yang Xin-yi, 29, and accomplices, including other Taiwanese nationals, are accused of defrauding a woman in her 80s from Chiyoda Ward out of 5 million yen between August and October 2025. Yang has denied the allegations.
Upon questioning, Yang completely denied the allegations.
AI-generated videos
Police believe Yang and her accomplices were operating as ukeko (collectors) for a Taiwan-based crime ring.
Because the suspects could not speak Japanese, they allegedly presented forged identification cards when meeting the elderly victim in person, relying entirely on a smartphone translation app to communicate and collect the cash.
The syndicate orchestrated the massive fraud by posting fake, AI-generated videos of actual Japanese corporate executives on video-sharing platforms. The victim was lured into a social media group chat where scammers promised astronomical returns, claiming, “Using our AI system, we guarantee to exceed last year’s revenue,” and “We promise a 600% profit.”
U.S. investment firm
The victim was then connected via chat to an individual claiming to represent a legitimate U.S. investment firm, who instructed her to hand over or wire money. In total, the elderly woman was scammed out of approximately 95 million yen.
According to investigative sources, the syndicate recruited the women in Taiwan with the pitch: “There is work you can do while traveling in Japan,” and falsely assured them, “Even if you get caught, it won’t be a big deal.” The suspects subsequently entered Japan on short-term tourist visas.
The scheme finally unraveled when the victim lost contact with the scammers and consulted the Kanda Police Station. Investigators believe the initial videos used to bait the woman were deepfakes generated by artificial intelligence.
The arrests are part of a broader crackdown on a Taiwanese crime syndicate operating within Japan. Police believe the same victim was ultimately scammed out of around 95 million yen in total through similar deceptive tactics.
