Koji Matoba and Jundai Yamada, Special Crime Prevention Support Officers, Appear at Nerima Police Station's Special Fraud Eradication Event; Declare "Great Eradication" with Local Residents

"Stop! Ole-Ole Scam 47 ~Operation Family Bonds~" Project Team (Abbreviation: SOS47) has been conducting countermeasures and public awareness activities in cooperation with police departments in all 47 prefectures since 2018, to disseminate knowledge and preventive measures regarding special fraud, which is increasingly causing damage nationwide.

Recently, the Metropolitan Police Department's Nerima Police Station held an event aimed at eradicating special fraud, with appearances by Special Crime Prevention Support Officers Koji Matoba and Jundai Yamada from the National Police Agency. The event included interactive quizzes for attendees, and featured discussions on the methods of "Fake Police Scams" and "SNS Investment/Romance Scams," which have been occurring frequently in recent years, strongly appealing to local residents for victim prevention.

■ Crime Prevention Talk Session by Support Officers Matoba and Yamada

At the beginning of the talk session, Support Officer Matoba emphasized that complacency is the most dangerous factor, stating, "There is data showing that over 90% of victims of fraud thought 'I would never be a victim.' Please learn measures to avoid becoming a victim of fraud today and go home." Regarding the current situation where the amount of damage in Tokyo reached a record high of 28.1 billion yen last year, Support Officer Yamada urged, "The methods are becoming more sophisticated one after another. It's not enough to just have countermeasures in place; it is most important to maintain a daily awareness of 'Could this be a scam?'"

The discussion then moved to "Fake Police Scams," which are increasingly affecting the working generation. Scammers impersonate police officers and use tactics such as showing images of arrest warrants or police IDs via LINE video calls. Support Officer Matoba stated definitively, "Real police officers will absolutely never send images of arrest warrants. Real police officers will absolutely never send official documents online; any police officer who does so is a fake." Support Officer Yamada also urged strong caution, saying, "Real police officers will never show their police ID on a smartphone. They will not request video calls, and if they try to show a police ID, they are fake."

Furthermore, in light of the increase in suspicious calls from overseas, Support Officer Matoba recommended blocking calls from scammers as the best countermeasure. He stated, "To avoid becoming a victim, it is crucial to cut off communication with the scammer." Support Officer Yamada added, "To help determine if the person on the phone is trustworthy, there are smartphone apps for fraud prevention distributed by the police (such as apps recommended by the National Police Agency or 'Digipolis'). We encourage you to download them at this opportunity."

Regarding SNS Investment and Romance Scams, Support Officer Yamada advised, "Unlike people you know well in your daily life, be careful not to trust individuals you only interact with on SNS whose backgrounds are unknown." Support Officer Matoba sounded an alarm, warning, "Compared to 'Ole-Ole' scams, these scams tend to last longer and involve larger amounts of money. Not only can you lose all your assets, but you might even incur debt and lose that money as well, so please be extremely careful."

Concluding the seminar, Support Officer Matoba appealed, "Real police officers will never demand money. They will never conduct interrogations via video call or call to warn you of an 'arrest.' Let's eradicate special fraud through 'family bonds' so that you and your family do not become victims." Support Officer Yamada followed with a message, "By properly utilizing the apps introduced today and taking procedures to suspend international calls, you can surely prevent damage. Please share today's information not only with your family but also with your friends and neighbors, and cooperate with us."

Smartphone Crime Prevention App

For details on the crime prevention app, please see below.

■ National Police Agency Recommended App

■ Metropolitan Police Department Crime Prevention App "Digipolis"

【Event Outline】
■ Event Name: Nerima Special Fraud Great Eradication! Fraud Prevention for the Whole Family!

■ Date: Saturday, June 6, Reiwa 8 (2026)

■ Venue: Nerima Kumin Sangyo Plaza, Coconeri Hall

■ Attendees: Koji Matoba, Special Crime Prevention Support Officer, National Police Agency

Jundai Yamada, Special Crime Prevention Support Officer, National Police Agency