Japan's elderly the target of all kinds of scams

The recent spree of yamibaito (dark part-time jobs) -- robberies contracted via SNSs that target vulnerable seniors with home invasions -- have shocked the nation. But Spa (Dec 3-10) notes that these are just the tip of a massive iceberg, as it can identify all kinds of other scams that target mostly seniors. 

"It's become increasingly common for crooks to go after seniors, many of whom live alone," Osaka-based attorney Yasusaburo Takehara tells the magazine. "I'm often consulted about frauds over home repairs. There are also cases of people who talk their way into an elderly person's home and convince them to sell their valuables at a fraction of the true value. There are even cases of fraudsters who trick people into handing over their cash cards. 

"As people have become widely alerted to scams via telephone, crooks have shifted their methods to home-visit schemes," Takehara adds. "After they have determined a home's assets the most extreme method is to set up an appointment and once they force their way inside look for ways to relieve them of their possessions."  

What makes seniors such tempting targets? 

"Many older people are receiving retirement pensions. They've finished paying for their children’s' educations and home mortgages, so they're in good shape financially," points out journalist Naoki Nemoto. 

"Recently, people such as home reform salesmen or newspaper delivery agents have been tasked with drawing up lists of soft targets, and offer these for sale. Other crooks get their foot in the door by offering to assist seniors in drawing up their wills.

"I strongly sense that those who see themselves as being economically disenfranchised are becoming increasingly disregardful of the consequences of their actions," Nemoto remarked. 

Heading Spa's list of the most common ripoffs are so-called tenken shoho -- offers to perform inspections of the home, which are charged at inflated prices. According to the Consumer Affairs Center of Japan, complaints have tripled over a five-year period, reaching 2,885 cases during 2022. 

Another common scam is for employees at small regional banks to counsel people on strategies to avoid inheritance taxes. They recommend such instruments as foreign-currency-based insurance policies, which unfortunately are risky places to park one's money, and which can easily lead to negative returns on investment. 

Another seldom-reported ripoff is overcharging for personal computer maintenance and repairs. A sleazy techie might charge ¥5,000 yen for each 30 minutes of consultation, which can easily run into big bucks. Some outfits are said to charge higher fees than lawyers. 

"Elderly people aren't familiar with PCs and when attempting to update to a new OS crash their systems," a man in the trade tells Spa. "Major appliance stores might charge them ¥50,000 to reconfigure their PC. We are more conscientious and only charge them ¥30,000." 

Other crooks talk seniors into selling their valuables at far less than the market value, a relatively safe way to go. Why risk being charged with robbery when you can simply purchase their valuables at bargain prices? 

Another scam on the increase is to show up with a truckload of boxed merchandise requiring cash on delivery for payment. This is an especially common way to swindle seniors, especially those who are suffering from early onset dementia. 

Some seniors can also be easily persuaded into acquiring supposedly valuable antiques. One woman was talked into buying a "rare" scroll bearing the Hannya shingyo (the Heart Sutra), which is said to be the most frequently used and recited text in the entire Mahayana Buddhist tradition.

As shown in an accompanying photo, several of the characters in the sutra had been written incorrectly, making it an obvious fraud. In many scams, overpriced goods are made to appear cheaper by enabling people to buy them on installments. Over a period of 10 years, the above-mentioned woman lost nearly all of her pension and savings from purchases of worthless schlock.

To add insult to injury, the names of people who are successfully swindled go onto a list of suckers, raising the likelihood that they'll be beset upon by a constant stream of predatory crooks.  

Financial planner Naoko Kuroda has compiled a checklist to protect seniors from such predators. She advises such countermeasures as setting the land line telephone not to ring for anyone except designated callers; not admitting unfamiliar people into the house; not keeping objects made of gold or other precious metals in the house; and drawing up a family trust to deal with disposal of personal assets.  

Kuroda also advises conversing with one's elderly parents more frequently so as to be aware of their situation, and not rejecting out of hand things one's parents might say or plans they make. Also, discussions on the disposal of parents' assets should be wound up while they are still healthy and mentally sound. And finally, it's a good idea to have them close any inactive financial accounts.

© Japan Today