Job Discussion Forums

Yawarakaijin · Joined: 20 Jan 2006 Posts: 504 Location: Middle of Nagano

One quick question. How in the world does this work?

As far as I can tell, old people are dupped into believing they are being asked to transfer some funds into a relative's account due to some emergency. This is where I get lost. If they are depositing money into an account then that account needs to have an owner does it not? Is it so hard to track down the number of the account the money was deposited into and therefore track down the theif?

How easy is it for Japanese to open a bank account? Do they have to show I.D? I would imagine they would. I just don't get how this works. The only way I could see it being pulled of is if Japanese don't need to show any id to open a bank account, "Hi I'm Tanaka Taro, I would like to open a bank account please" or if there were some inside help from bank managers to create fraudulent accounts for these ill gotten gains to be deposited into.

markle · Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Posts: 1316 Location: Out of Japan

I guess it works because most of the time because no-one knows what has happened. Even if it does get noticed ID theft does happen here (again often unnoticed and unreported) so tracing the culprit might not be so easy.

flyer · Joined: 16 May 2003 Posts: 539 Location: Sapporo Japan

but yes, its got be thinking too

Anyway, why are they so easily taken in?
Everyone has been warned about this kind of thing and they still get fooled. WHY????

That amazes me, I know they are old but .....

They should know that this thing happens and therefore take logical measures not to be fooled, its not rocket science!!

Sour Grape · Joined: 10 May 2005 Posts: 241

A lot of elderly Japanese still cling to the notion that Japan is largely a crime free society, and what little crime that exists is done by foreigners. Old people everywhere are vulnerable to scams, but Japanese old people seem particularly naive, in my experience anyway.

flyer · Joined: 16 May 2003 Posts: 539 Location: Sapporo Japan

in that case they can't watch much TV news
every night there is numerous serious crimes done by Japanese

but I get your point

gaijinalways · Joined: 29 Nov 2005 Posts: 2279

I wouldn't say it's just the elderly, some of the people scammed have been middle-aged. Young people don't have the money to be scammed out of normally, and besides, they wouldn't "bail grandma out of jail" anyway.

Yes, Japan is a safety country (as long as you're naive enough to believe it)!

TokyoLiz · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1548 Location: Tokyo, Japan

Lots of North Americans get scammed this way, too - http://www.crimes-of-persuasion.com/Crimes/Telemarketing/Outbound/Minor/assistance.htm

I wonder if it simply appears there are a lot of these scams because it is a recent phenomenon that the Japanese media has picked up? Is it that this kind of crime went unreported before (due to the embarassment of being scammed) and has only been uncovered lately?

What Sour Grape said - people have the impression Japan has a low crime rate.

markle · Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Posts: 1316 Location: Out of Japan

Yawarakaijin · Joined: 20 Jan 2006 Posts: 504 Location: Middle of Nagano

I still don't understand what the problem is. That money is going into someones bank account. How hard is it to find that person? Is it so easy to open a fraudulent bank account in Japan? Last week I was told I couldn't open a shinsei bank account because I didn't have the "right" gaijin card. Rolling Eyes

Apparently the one you are first issued upon arrival somehow becomes invalid after you get a new visa (still same type) Confused

Apsara · Joined: 20 Sep 2005 Posts: 2142 Location: Tokyo, Japan

Yawarakaijin, I have never heard that the original ARC becomes invalid- it hasn't been a problem for me in 10 years in Japan in any case.

Did you update your card at the ward/city office after renewing your visa? They just write the new information on the back of it and put an official seal over it. If you didn't update it, then that is likely to be the problem. The card itself should be fine, it just needs to be updated. With no update, it looks to them like you haven't renewed your visa.

If you did update the card, then make sure the bank staff see the updated info on the back, as some people don't know to check it and just go by the info on the front.

Yawarakaijin · Joined: 20 Jan 2006 Posts: 504 Location: Middle of Nagano

Well someone at Shinsei believes your original ARC becomes invalid because they wouldn't even let me open an account with the one I had. I even had my passport showing my new visa was valid until 2010 along with my ARC with a new address, verified and signed by my ward office the month I went to the bank.

I can understand that they wanted to see an ARC with current visa actually printed on the face but so far Shinsei has been the only bank demanding this. I've opened up 2 other bank accounts no problem with that original ARC.

Apsara · Joined: 20 Sep 2005 Posts: 2142 Location: Tokyo, Japan

That's odd. I also opened a new Shinsei account last year with an ARC with the new visa information (also valid until 2010) written in on the back. I opened the account by post and sent a copy of both sides of the card- no problem at all.

Had you updated it at the ward office before applying?