TOKYO (TR) – The number of so-called “special fraud” cases, in which a person is swindled over the telephone, exploded over the first six months of 2017, the National Police Agency revealed on Thursday, reports TV Asahi (Aug. 3).
Between January and June, the number of such cases totaled 8,863, a figure that is 1.4 times greater than that recorded over the same period in 2016, the NPA said.
According to the data, most of the cases were classified as ore ore sagi, or “it’s me” fraud, whereby a person is victimized by a caller pretending to be a relative in trouble and seeking money. Such cases totaled 3,709, an increase of 30 percent over the first six months of 2016.
Cases involving a caller falsely claiming to a victim that a fee must be paid over usage of an illicit site or other service jumped by a factor of two to 2,668.
Headquarters in Tokyo
According to police, the majority of the fraud rings behind the crimes operate from headquarters in the capital. In an effort to inhibit police, the groups are increasingly seeking to obtain bank cards and electronic money.