TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a 23-year-old member of a fraud ring over the alleged swindle of 13 million yen from an elderly woman last month, reports TBS News (May 5)
On April 3, Tomoki Muramatsu, a company employee, allegedly posed as a police officer in defrauding the woman, aged in her 90s and living in Fuchu City, out of the 13 million yen in cash.
Beforehand, the woman was falsely told over the telephone by a member of the fraud ring that her “cash on hand should be checked since it may be counterfeit.”
When Muramatsu arrived at the residence, he was carrying a fake police identification card.
“I have debt,” Muramatsu told the Fuchu Police Station in admitting to the allegations. He also said that he had committed the same crime on multiple occasions.
Upon the suspect’s arrival at the residence, he was in possession of a fake police identification card.
Police are investigating whether the state of emergency is making many elderly targets of fraud rings since they are increasingly staying at home.