crime

¥15 mil stolen from elderly woman’s home

28 Comments

An elderly woman in Fujisawa, Kanagawa Prefecture, was robbed of 15 million in cash while she was out shopping , police said Monday.

According to police, the woman, who lives alone, went out on the morning of Jan 20, Sankei Shimbun reported. When she returned, she discovered she had been robbed and called police.

Police said the woman told them that a few days earlier she had received a phone call from a man identifying himself as a precious metals dealer and wanting to know if the woman had any valuable. He asked if he could visit her to assess their value and made a brief visit the same day. He cautioned the woman to keep her valuables in a safe place.

Police believe the man was a bogus metals dealer and that he used the visit to determine whether the woman was wealthy.

© Japan Today

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

28 Comments
Login to comment

People who prey on the elderly are the lowest of the low.

20 ( +20 / -0 )

You get a call from someone you don't know? Hang up! Don't invite them into your home.

17 ( +17 / -0 )

why would you keep 15 million yen under your bed? asking for trouble to start with.

16 ( +17 / -1 )

Police said the woman told them that a few days earlier she had received a phone call from a man identifying himself

I'm going to go on a limb and say that if he left any sort of business card with her that it's 100% bogus as well. But how did he get her phone number?!? Did he just dial randomly? I assume the Police has traced the phone number to it's owner?

9 ( +10 / -1 )

Someone needs to teach obasan to keep her money on the bank.

8 ( +8 / -0 )

They will trace the phone back to a "pay as you go" throwaway!

7 ( +7 / -0 )

Dont these people watch the news? It’s a little late, but she’s learned her lesson now I think

7 ( +7 / -0 )

" a phone call from a man identifying himself as a precious metals dealer and wanting to know if the woman had any valuable." That's a dinosaur con, and the naive fatuous, cap fell for it.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

She has 15 mil in her home? WOW! I'm so broke, if someone broke into my home for money, they'd just be practicing.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Did he just dial randomly?

IME yes, they just randomly dial and use their rehearsed line until someone bites. My wife and her mom have both received these types of calls, and her mom was had by one of them.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

These phone numbers were mostly acquired from hacked servers several years ago. Some are from closed shops. They were sold underground for these purposes. They are also using untraceable numbers to make the calls. Nowadays, almost every establishments want to collect info from us. Dept. stores, restaurants, etc. using campaigns and promos as a tool to extract infos. You can't tell whom to trust these days.

As per city/police warning:

Keep all incoming calls directed to your answering/message machines. Unscrupulous person will never leave any messages.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

MonozukiToday  02:37 pm JST

@Sceptical Today 12:17 pm JST:

Keep all incoming calls directed to your answering/message machines. Unscrupulous person will never leave any messages.

That what I wanted to say. Elderly people spend lonely days if they live alone. And they usually use land-line phone and answer the phone without thinking much

I live in a fairly large city outside Tokyo. Whenever an "elderly person went lost" or an "ore-ore sagi" incident occurs, it's soon announced publicly. In addition to that, we receive calls from the police/city dept. occasionally and warning us about the illicit calls and how to avoid it.

One more thing, this cons may know your telephone numbers but they never have your addresses. So "Don't Fall Into Giving Them Yours."

5 ( +5 / -0 )

@Sceptical Today 03:59 pm JST:

Thanks for the heads-up.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

credit cards are a means to overspend & cost on both ends (storekeep & customer) with fees.

I keep reading stuff like this, and it surprises me. I have never, ever, paid any credit card fees or interest, in fact the card company gives me points according to how much I use the card, and I can turn the points in for consumer items or gift cards, which means using the card works out cheaper than cash in the long run. Who is paying fees?

people not knowing their credit card interest

There is no interest if you pay up each month, or even if you split a payment over two months. There is interest charged on payments split over three or more months, and on revolving payments. Just don't use revolving.

Some local authorities, like Tokyo, will put a device on the phone that records every call and warns at the start that the call is being recorded. My MiL had one fitted after she had a call from someone claiming to be her grandson (my son) - but who didn't even know his name! She acted dumb, invited them round for tea and promised them cash, then immediately called the police. The police turned up, the scammers didn't.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

@Sceptical Today 12:17 pm JST:

Keep all incoming calls directed to your answering/message machines. Unscrupulous person will never leave any messages.

That what I wanted to say. Elderly people spend lonely days if they live alone. And they usually use land-line phone and answer the phone without thinking much. Yes, you'd better record a message on the answering machine. You can be more calm when listening to it. Actually, we do that. It really works! Interesting enough, and as you say, all of con artists have never recorded their hoax messages on it so far.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Japan is said to be cash based society. Using credit/debit cards is fractional compared to countries like South Korea, European countries, etc. Japanese people excuse this that "we don't want to use plastic cards, because then the government knows how we spend our money and track it". Yet, Japanese people give out willingly their details as phone number, emails (etc) for baits as various point cards, fake campaigns, etc. And many shops release their own payment apps with ridiculously poor or non existing security and people don't care. 7-Eleven was one example (their app even send data plaintext, lol). People's details get leaked or stolen and then used like this. Someone get's robbed, police gives out warnings. And the cycle repeats.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

 I assume the Police has traced the phone number to it's owner?

Dont assume anything as there are burner phones here too!

2 ( +2 / -0 )

If we get a call from a number we don't know, we don't answer and let it go to the message recorder.

Who leaves voice messages anymore?

2 ( +2 / -0 )

But how did he get her phone number?!?

There are plenty of ways. Have you ever gone to a karaoke shop and written your name and phone number in? Other places might requests guests to do the same. Could be a hotel. They just need someone to work there, keep their head low, and make note of names and phone numbers. Not hard at all.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

ever heard of a "bank?"

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Woman wants to keep cash at home - that is her choice - but, it needs to be secure - a safe is a good choice, that is what banks use. In the USA, I never used a bank, except to cash paychecks. Banks are loathsome institutions. Same with credit card companies. Japan Post Bank, unfortunately, after being semi-privatized, only allows 5 million i total deposits. That Japan is a cash society, is appreciated - the example cited above is rather lacking in knowledge - credit cards are a means to overspend & cost on both ends (storekeep & customer) with fees. It is safe to carry cash, unlike in 'more advanced' societies. As for bandits preying on the elderly, round-'em-up and hang 'em.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

@Richard Gallagher

credit cards are a means to overspend & cost on both ends (storekeep & customer) with fees

Not necessarily. That's what debit cards are for, but in many countries, especially Japan, debit cards are considered as poor people's cards. And it's easier to track your spendings you made with your card. If you pay by cash, unless you keep the receipt, you won't know about that like a year later. With card, I can track even onigiri I purchased 8 years ago in a konbini in the middle of nowhere. Not speaking the difference if I lose my cash and my card with the money. Tough luck with cash, easy with card.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Still, there is a chance for the Police to advance the case. The robbers had to be casing her house and waiting in the neighborhood until she left, and then entered her house in broad daylight. There may be security cameras in the area that could catch people waiting and then leaving, and potentially automobile plates, color, make and model. Neighbors may have remembered something. A daytime crime is easier to solve than one at night.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Login to leave a comment

Facebook users

Use your Facebook account to login or register with JapanToday. By doing so, you will also receive an email inviting you to receive our news alerts.

Facebook Connect

Login with your JapanToday account

User registration

Articles, Offers & Useful Resources

A mix of what's trending on our other sites