TOKYO (TR) – The National Police Agency (NPA) said last week that the total amount lost by victims of crime rings using unsolicited phone calls and social media was most on record over the first half of this year, reports NHK (Aug. 1).

Between January and June, fraud rings collected 59.7 billion yen from victims, a figure that is 2.6 times higher than that over the same period the year before. It is also the highest since statistics began being kept in 2004.

The number of cases recorded over that period (13,213) was also a record, the NPA said.

The agency is urging caution, as scams involving perpetrators impersonating police officers comprise the majority of the total.

“Physical examination”

These types of cases are termed tokushu sagi (“special fraud”), which is carried out on the telephone by a caller impersonating an authority figure or a victim’s relative.

In video calls, perpetrators posing a police officer will say, “Your mobile telephone is being used for criminal purposes.” They will also show fake police badges and arrest warrants. They then go on to tell victims to send money to bank accounts.

In years past, such scams targeted the elderly. That is no longer the case.

By age group, the largest number of victims were in their 30s at approximately 21 percent, followed by those in their 20s at around 19 percent. These figures indicate that younger generations are also falling victim to this scam, the NPA said.

The NPA added that criminal groups are making large numbers of calls using auto-call systems. In addition to demanding money, scammers have also been seen to engage in lewd acts, such as requesting victims to strip naked during video calls under the guise of a “physical examination.”

The NPA is urging people to “be careful, as police officers would never demand money or ask victims to strip naked on social media.”

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