“It’s Me”: How Scammers in Japan Recruit the Young to Rob the Old

How scammers steal tens of millions of dollars in Japan every year — and coerce desperate young people into doing their dirty work for them.

By Himari Semans

In Japan, people–often the elderly–lose tens of millions of dollars every year to scammers. But many don’t do the work themselves. Instead, they’re increasingly relying on desperate young people to do their dirty work for them. Here’s how people get trapped in this world — and why it’s hard to get out.

A son in trouble (?)

Three days had passed since the burning ritual took place at Tokiwa Shrine. The flames engulfed all the New Year’s decorations that invited the gods of good fortune into people’s homes. The Japanese believe that the gods can rise back to the heavens with the smoke.

Another purpose of those decorations was to keep out evil spirits. But on the morning of January 18th, bad luck snuck into the home of an elderly couple.

Two hours by train, northeast of central Tokyo, Mito City sits on the coast of Ibaraki Prefecture facing the Pacific. It was sunny but cold. At 9AM, a 77-year-old man gets a call from his eldest son.