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Tokyo cops bust fraud ring that targeted Amazon gift cards

Ryo Fujisaki
Ryo Fujisaki (TBS News)

TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested six suspected members of a fraud ring who are believed to have defrauded victims out of 100 million yen in a scam involving gift cards for online retailer Amazon.co.jp, reports TBS News (Oct. 19).

In May, Ryo Fujisaki, 31, and his accomplices allegedly defrauded a woman in her 30s, living in Nagareyama City, Chiba Prefecture, out of 1.1 million yen in cash.

In carrying out the ruse, the woman was told on the telephone by one of the suspects, “You appear to be using a paid site, and there’s some unpaid charges.” She was then told to make the payment by buying Amazon gift cards at a convenience store.

According to the Komagome Police Station, Fujisaki has declined to comment on the allegations.

The members of the ring aimed to obtain the codes for Amazon gift cards to redeem them on the retailer’s site, police said.

Investigators found a manual containing a script for making the calls to victims at the group’s headquarters in Yokohama.

Since February of last year, the ring is believed to have defrauded victims nationwide out of over 100 million yen.