'Like a video game': Japan's gangs hire online

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. It's amazing how easy it is to ignore what is in front of your eyes and pretend nothing is wrong. Human nature is infinitely stupid.

"I didn't think I could ever work a normal job," the 27-year-old told a Tokyo court in July before being sentenced to three years in jail. "For the first time in my life, I was told I was good at something... the job made me feel I was needed." 

Sounds like she obviously could do well as a legit telephone sales person.

It begins with statements like 'anonymously'. Of course nothing is anonymous today, there's plenty of accessible to everyone sophisticated OSINT software or hardware tools around, hardware tools like the famous 'dolphin'1 , name intentionally changed, and it's mighty other board extensions, you might know it or heard rumours, and of course official public and secret services have another bunch of extra arsenal at hand, at least potentially. I guess, also on this topic it only simply lacks enough and sufficiently skilled staff. Pure theoretically, even the victims could learn about it, becoming a white hacker and then manipulate the IT and phones of that gang, visit them surprisingly morning at 3 with some strong accompanying friends, the modern electronic door keys are of course also not an obstacle, regain their money then personally or take their cars for selling and all such as revenge. You see, much is possible, not only for gangs and criminals, but also for the defensive or victims' side.

An excellent, informative piece by JT writer Tomohiro OSAKI...thank you, and good work!

They certainly don't sound like victims of human trafficking as some have falsely claimed. The girl was hired to impersonate a police officer and steal from the old, weak, and uninformed. She knew exactly what they expected her to do from the get go and had no problem with it. One guy admitted doing it so he could just get wasted every night on expensive champagne. They're victims alright.....victims of their stupidity and greed and now criminals.

"SCAMS" on Netflix was a pretty decent Japanese series that shows this criminal endeavour.

Horrible people who are preying on the vulnerable - they all need to be locked away for a very long time.

Even the fatherless, such as Risa Yamada, learn somewhere along the way: "Thou shalt not steal."

I wonder what percentage of the crooks get caught--and whether those near or close to the top are ever caught...

Sounds like she obviously could do well as a legit telephone sales person.

Even legit phone sales campaigns have shady practices too! Shady as in borderline illegal.

There is a "famous" telephone English conversation that pushes "American" English through intensive, "listening" practice, and telephone lessons.

The first CD comes packaged together with the second CD in a joint box. If you open the 2nd box, containing the 2nd CD, which is NOT free, they charge you something like 5,000 for opening it up.

But deep inside the 1st box, with the "free" CD, there is a piece of paper with the warning about not opening the 2ns box unless you plan on purchasing it. If "unopened" it can me returned via delivery for free. Problem is nearly everyone opens the entire package when they receive it, and get scammed into buying the 2nd CD.

It's a "speedy" way of ripping off money from customers!

Whichever way you look at this, it is basically just thieving - the fact that there is total disconnection and an impersonal modus operandi is possibly what attracts the recruits to commit such crimes, but it's still shocking in a country where people go to great lengths to reunite others with their lost possessions, a level of honesty based on the most basic premise that someone else's lost property is certainly not yours...... one of the many things I admire here in Japan.

The first CD comes packaged together with the second CD in a joint box. If you open the 2nd box, containing the 2nd CD, which is NOT free, they charge you something like 5,000 for opening it up.

How do they know that you have opened the 2nd box?

Gallows for scammers!!..

if one guys comission was 10 million yen, how much did he steal, con out of his victims? i bet he only got a small percentage.

A lot lot lot lot more has to be done to reach out to the elderly and educate them on these various scams.

I don't have a solution, but there has to be some creative minds who can reach out and just educate these people.

They're from a foregone era of trust that is being evaporated exponentially day after day.

Not a way to live out the last years of your life, being scammed.

Something has to be done ASAP

I'm surprised more gaijin don't sign up for those jobs...

You ever click on one of those "Top jobs in Japan" links here on JT? Jobs that require fluency in Japanese and English pay like $20K a year. Those jobs paid twice that 15 years ago.

You'd qualify for government food stamps on that salary where I live...

How do they know that you have opened the 2nd box?

There is a time limit, of I believe it was 2 weeks, that the package had to be returned.

There is paperwork inside the first box for sending back the attached box. It's really hard to explain the way the box is designed. However, if the attached 2nd box is opened in any manner, even partially, it wouldn't be accepted for return mail, and the recipient would be billed for it.

@yubaru, naruhodo. Pretty sneaky, not sure such practises would be allowed in other nations.

Nurse RatchedNov. 10  05:37 pm JST

Human nature is infinitely stupid........................................

Without a doubt, the human animal is the most destructive element on the planet. Although our technology has evolved, human intellect has regressed. Technology and lack of forethought has allowed for global warming and the poisoning of the air, water, and soil; while the Internet hastens the dumbing down and polluting of the human mind. .....The people committing these crimes and scams lack empathy or remorse, they care only about themselves and making easy money.

The fact that it was well know and could be noted in published magazines before moving to the internet with no intervention speaks volumes about how much they care about this topic actually. Now that public outrage has been sparked they have to look like they are taking action.

Also it sounds like the example lady should have gone into acting if she was doing well impersonating people to scam them…

As bad as these gangs are, and as willing as people are to commit the crimes, a deeper problem exists. The targeting. These groups are getting the names of potential victims from somewhere. Perhaps people working at City Hall with access to registries.