A member of a con group, accused of swindling dozens of people in bank transfer scams, has been re-arrested for taking money from an elderly woman under false pretenses.
According to police, Tasuku Matsunoshita, 22, conned a 75-year-old woman residing in Tokyo’s Adachi Ward out of two million yen in February 2017, Fuji TV reported. Pretending to be the victim’s son, Matsunoshita called her at home and claimed he “needed money for work.”
Matsunoshita is a member of a syndicate connected to multiple frauds where he has acted as the “impersonator” to collect cash from unsuspecting victims. He would call an elderly person, pretending to be his or her son, and tell them that he had gotten into trouble at work by losing a bag full of cash or a briefcase with important documents and that he needed money urgently. He then would tell his “parent” that he would send a work colleague over to collect the money.
Since August 2017, Matsunoshita has been arrested and charged five times for similar offenses.
Police said Matsunoshita admitted to the charge and are questioning him about other members of the gang.
© Japan Today
12 Comments
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Michael Jackson
Funny that they're afraid to mention the name of the "syndicate". Yamaguchigumi perhaps?
sir_bentley28
How wonderful would it be if he called someone who didn't have children! I hope he is made to repay everything plus 40% more to his victims!
Alphaape
Maybe it's just me but if my child is an adult and makes a mistake like that, then it is up to them to atone for it. I don't get any money from them for their work at the company, and I did my duties in raising them to the point where they are able to join the work force so any mistakes made wouldn't be a reflection of anything I did. And if they make a mistake at work, who cares what others think, and me supposedly giving money to cover it up doesn't really matter anyway since people are going to talk good or bad. I guess social pressure is still really a big thing in Japan.
Steven Fennel
If a 75 year old mother doesn't know the sound of her own sons voice....
this syndicates methods were filthy, but the old woman needs to take some responsibility too
Strangerland
I'd bet he probably already has.
Mirai Hayashi
If a 75 year old mother doesn't know the sound of her own sons voice....
this syndicates methods were filthy, but the old woman needs to take some responsibility too
I have been saying this same exact thing for YEARS. This scam is decades old and people should know better by now. And by the way, who willingly gives that kind of money to a complete stranger? If it were my child asking for that kind of money, I would tell him to come and get it IN PERSON!
Mirai Hayashi
How wonderful would it be if he called someone who didn't have children!
I think I heard of this actually happening to some elderly man. He had no children and yet was willing to give money to some stranger. His reasoning was that he was lonely and wanted someone to come by so he'd have someone to talk to...really sad!
cleo
Over the phone, actually it can be quite difficult once your hearing starts going. My MiL, now over 90, asked us many years ago now to tell her who was calling when we phoned, because she was having difficulty recognising voices.
Goodlucktoyou
I was repeatedly robbed and the police did nothing, just questioned me like I was the criminal. We know who robbed us, but they said they can’t search the persons house because they need a warrant. Not surprising he got away again and again.
gogogo
Name the Yakuza gang! media have no balls in this country.