Overview
- Aichi Prefectural Police, which disclosed the case Wednesday, said the loss may be the largest special-fraud total recorded in the prefecture.
- The scheme began after the victim clicked an online ad bearing a celebrity’s name and was steered to the LINE messaging app.
- Scammers had him install a so-called investment app that displayed fake profits, leading him to believe the trading was legitimate.
- Over several months through May, he sent bank transfers and handed over cash and gold bullion totaling about ¥870 million, and he grew suspicious after a withdrawal attempt triggered a demand for “taxes.”
- Investigators urged people to treat celebrity-branded investment ads and offers tied to gold or platinum as red flags, and the Organized Crime Special Investigation Division is pursuing the case with no arrests announced.