Scams targeting foreigners in Japan: fake police, immigration and bank calls

Most scam calls in Japan that target foreigners pretend to be the police, immigration or your own embassy, and they end with a demand for money or personal details. As of October 2026, the rule is simple: real police and immigration staff never call from a number starting with “+” or ask you to transfer money by phone, and the police never question you by phone or video call. If a call does any of these, hang up and call the police consultation line #9110.

How common are scam calls in Japan?

Very common, and getting worse. The National Police Agency (警察庁) counted 27,832 cases of special fraud (特殊詐欺) in 2025, with losses of ¥142.31 billion, up 98% on 2024. Its final figures came out on 22 May 2026.

The biggest single method is fake police fraud (ニセ警察詐欺): 11,014 cases and ¥100.5 billion in 2025. The average completed case cost the victim ¥9.225 million. It isn’t only a problem for older people. People in their 30s (2,239 cases) and 20s (1,718 cases) were the most frequent victims.

About 75.5% of the phone numbers used in special fraud in 2025 were international numbers, according to the NPA. That is why an unexpected call from a “+” number deserves suspicion.

What do fake police calls sound like?

The NPA describes this pattern. The call often starts with a fake phone company or ministry, which then “transfers” you to a police officer. The officer says your bank account was used in a crime, or that someone opened a phone contract in your name. Then you are told to “protect your assets” or let them “investigate” your account by sending money.

The scammers may move you to a messaging app or a video call. They show a fake police ID or a fake arrest warrant. Some ask for gold bars. In 247 cases from 2025 reported to the NPA by the end of April 2026 (including attempts and consultations), fake police demanded that victims undress “to check body features” or stay on video call constantly, even in the bath.

Real police, according to the NPA, never:

• call from an international number starting with “+”
• contact you through social media or messaging apps
• question you by phone or video call (警察は電話で取り調べを行うことはありません)
• send you a picture of an arrest warrant
• ask you to transfer money, pay bail or “verify” funds by phone, email or message

Does immigration call foreigners about their visa?

Not to ask for money. The Immigration Services Agency (出入国在留管理庁) has a warning page about calls and emails that use its name; its list of reported cases was last updated on 19 September 2025. ISA says it does not call from international numbers starting with “+”, and Kochi Prefectural Police state that ISA staff never demand money by phone. Examples ISA lists:

• A caller says your passport was misused on a recent trip abroad and asks for your date of birth and address.
• An automated voice says your documents are missing or expiring and tells you to press a number.
• Someone asks you to wire an “entry fee” for a friend held at the airport, or “bail” for a friend in detention.
• A Chinese-language call or recording says your passport or residence card (在留カード) was misused in Shanghai, or that your residence card will be revoked.
• An email says a “random inspection” needs proof of your assets, or that you must update your visa information or pay a ¥2 million fine.

ISA also warns about fake government websites, so check the web address before you click. For real residence fee payments, see the email addresses listed in our visa renewal guide.

Will my embassy call me about a crime?

Embassies warn about the same tricks in their own languages. The Embassy of China in Japan said on 1 May 2025 that several Chinese residents had lost several million yuan. It says Chinese government departments, embassies and consulates don’t phone people to say they are suspected of a crime and don’t transfer calls to an “International Criminal Police Center”. Any request to install monitoring software, write a statement to “prove your innocence” or transfer money to a set account is fraud.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department (警視庁) has a Chinese-language warning about callers posing as Chinese police or embassy staff. They hold a video “interrogation”, send a fake warrant and demand a deposit to avoid arrest. Some push the victim to fake their own kidnapping so their parents pay a ransom. Some victims were asked for ¥20 million.

The Embassy of India in Tokyo warns about calls in English or Hindi that spoof its number (03-3262-2391). The caller says you gave wrong information to the Japanese authorities and must pay a “penalty” at once by Western Union, iTunes gift cards or credit/debit card, or be deported or jailed. The Embassy says it doesn’t call people to ask for money. It asks you to report such calls to the local police and to the Embassy.

Is that bank or delivery SMS a phishing scam?

Often, yes. The NPA says phishing emails and SMS pretend to be banks, card companies, phone carriers, delivery companies, shopping sites and government agencies. Sender names can be faked. The fake page asks for card numbers, PINs, one-time passwords or a photo of your driver’s license or My Number card. Some links install a malware app.

What the NPA advises:

• Don’t tap links in messages. Open your bank’s app or a bookmarked site instead.
• Turn on one-time passwords and your carrier’s spam blocking.
• If you entered a password, change it everywhere you used it and call your bank or card company.

If your data was in a company leak, expect more targeted messages; see what to do after a data leak.

Is selling or lending your bank account a crime in Japan?

Yes, and this matters most when you leave Japan. Selling, buying or handing over a bank passbook, cash card or online banking login is a crime for both the seller and the buyer. Since 10 July 2026, the penalty is up to 3 years in prison or a ¥5 million fine, or both, up from 1 year or ¥1 million, and heavier if done repeatedly as a business. Asking others to sell accounts is also covered. You may also be unable to open or use accounts at other banks.

The NPA says scam groups use accounts handed over by foreign residents who went home. Victims pay into the account, and the criminals pose as the owner to take the money out. The Tokyo police advise: close your account at your bank before you go home. Our leaving Japan checklist covers the other steps.

A new offense also started on 10 July 2026. Receiving money into your own account and forwarding it for a fee, often offered on social media as an “easy part-time job” (送金バイト), carries up to 2 years in prison or a ¥3 million fine, or both (up to 3 years or ¥5 million if repeated). Asking someone to do it is also an offense. In 2025, 239 foreign nationals were arrested in special fraud cases, most as people who collected cash or cards from victims (受け子). Of all people arrested in low-level roles such as collectors and withdrawers, 37.9% had applied through social media.

What should you do after a scam call?

For a landline, the NPA recommends stopping international calls for free through the 国際電話不取扱受付センター (0120-210-364). On a mobile, use your carrier’s or an NPA-recommended app that blocks international calls.

Which numbers should you call about scams in Japan?

The pages for #9110 and 188 don’t promise English, so a Japanese-speaking friend can help. For other emergencies, see emergency numbers in Japan.

More guides: what to do after a data leak, leaving Japan checklist, bank accounts for foreigners, visa renewal, emergency numbers in Japan.