TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police have busted a fraud ring whose leader was found to have misused a digital list of 20 million names of potential victims, reports TBS News (July 23).
Police accused Yoshiyuki Ichihashi, a 31-year-old resident of Minato Ward, and two other persons of swindling 1 million yen in cash from a woman, aged in her 80s and living in Ibaraki Prefecture, earlier this month. Police did not reveal whether suspects admit to the allegations.
In carrying out the ruse, a member of the ring posed as a seller of corporate bonds in getting the victim to hand over the cash, according to the Nerima Police Station.
In raiding the headquarters of the ring, police seized a list containing about 3,000 names and telephone numbers that were used to target victims. Ichihashi is also believed to have utilized software that allowed him unauthorized access to about 20 million telephone numbers.
The operation has collected more than 120 million yen from victims, police said.
