KANAGAWA (TR) – Kanagawa Prefectural Police have arrested four suspected members of a fraud ring swindled an elderly woman in Osaka Prefecture out of more than 20 million yen last year, reports Jiji Press (Jan. 10).
On three occasions over a five-day period beginning on September 9, Akihiko Ichikawa, 30, his brother, 27-year-old Tomohiro, Masahiro Ishida, 28, and one other member fraudulently collected a total of 25 million yen from the woman, aged in her 80s and living in Sakai City.
In carrying out the ruse, one of the suspects posed as her son on the telephone and told her that he needed money to compensate for a money-related problem at work. During the conversation, the caller spoke in the Kansai dialect.
In October of last year, all of the suspects except Akihiko were arrested over a separate fraud case. For the latest case, police did not reveal whether the suspects admit to the allegations.
The ring was operated out of two locations, including a residence in Tokyo’s Koto Ward. During a search, police seized 11 high school alumni lists with about 22,000 names and addresses.
Police believe the ring swindled about 70 persons out of around 260 million yen. Thus far, nine persons have been arrested for 10 cases.
