TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested three members of a family after they were found to be working with a fraud ring, reports NHK (June 24).
According to police, the three — a boy (19), his wife (21) and his mother (50) — took orders from Ryo Usuya, a 42-year-old member of a fraud ring living in Tsuchiura City, Ibaraki Prefecture.
Last October, the four are alleged to have worked together to swindle an elderly woman living in the capital out of her bank card. The card was later used at an ATM machine to withdraw 5.75 million yen in cash.
Prior to the incident, the woman was falsely told over the telephone by a person falsely claiming to be from the Financial Services Agency that “procedures were necessary” since her card had been forged.
All four suspects deny the allegations, police said.
According to police, Usuya is the leader of the ring, going by “shacho,” or president. The boy and his wife assisted in the actual pick up of the card from the woman. Meanwhile, his mother withdrew the cash.
