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Tokyo cops arrest man in ¥5 million swindle of elderly woman

Masumi Goto
Masumi Goto (TBS News)

TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a man suspected in the swindling of an elderly woman after a photograph showing his face was released earlier this year, reports TBS News (Oct. 3).

In August, the woman, a 86-year-old resident of Minato Ward, received a telephone call from a person claiming to be her son who falsely claimed that he had had a bank check in the amount of 12 million yen stolen and needed 5 million yen.

Masumi Goto, a 35-year-old resident of Yonezawa City, Yamagata Prefecture, then allegedly collected 5 million yen in cash from the woman at her residence.

On October 3, police released an image released showing the suspect wearing a short-sleeve shirt and glasses.

“After the image was released, I thought I would be caught,” the suspect was quoted by police. “So I fled to my parents’ home.”

According to police, Goto received the funds on behalf of a fraud ring. “Since I don’t have money, I did it as a part-time job,” the suspect was quoted in admitting to the allegations.