Scammers take advantage of COVID fears to commit vaccine fraud

Why go to the police after you hang up? You would be stuck for hours with questions about your birthday, why you are here etc.

No problem. Not much money for me includes having no money at all for any scammers. lol

The present-day economic crimes of this sort are highly organized and sophisticated. Many perpetrators are involved yet dispersed at different remote locations (across the country or even abroad) and separate tasks being done independently, without knowledge of other collaborators. Police find it harder to identify and catch them en masse.

Though rich seniors tend to be primary targets, those who think of themselves as being too smart to sucker can also be easy preys.

Last October, the woman, who is from the Kyushu region in southwestern Japan, deposited 1.2 million yen to a bank account following instructions by a poster who promoted an investment scheme on vaccine development. Once the money was paid, however, she was ghosted, according to the Consumer Affairs Agency.

Sorry, but this is just young and dumb. With all the news and what not about scammers in the news, she has just got to have her head in the sand!

DoCoMo, Softbank, and AU bare responsibility for allowing scammers to use it's network and not being able or track them, plus ignoring the fact that people are being scammed by their customers.

You’re correct @noriahoanen, well-phrased and thought-provoking: “The present-day economic crimes of this sort are highly organized and sophisticated.” Many kinds of fraud in Japan: some petty; many on a grand-scale and their networks are extensive.  Many times they involve government officials taking advantage of ‘loopholes’.  COVID was an excuse for many to profit illegally; and “legally”(within ‘grey areas’ of the ambiguous laws, policies and guidelines.) Officials routinely are exposed and claim “I did nothing wrong.” until they are forced by the populace to apologize.  Then, all is ‘swept aside’ and forgotten. Police can do little to follow up if prosecutors are unwilling to prosecute.

Whats happened to Common Sense these days ?

The scam doesn't sound sophisticated at all . Just mass phone call / email baits to target market. Isn't that as simple it gets?

Your friendly Yakuza at work.