OSAKA (TR) – Osaka Prefectural Police have busted a fraud ring based in Osaka City whose headquarters was found to have a list of 80,000 names of potential victims, reports Mainichi Broadcasting System (July 12).
According to police, the ring operated from a residence in Chuo Ward. Police have arrested Naoya Iguchi, 27, and eight others over the swindle of 18 million yen in cash from two women, both aged in their 80s and living in Nagasaki and Oita prefectures.
In carrying out the ruse, members of the ring posed as representatives from a consumer affairs center and falsely told the victims that payments were necessary to resolve matters related to their names being used fraudulently.
In raiding two locations, police seized a roster containing about 80,000 names, 30 mobile telephones and a manual for carrying out the frauds.
Police suspect that the ring has swindled victims out of up to 100 million yen.