This week’s O.S.I.N (One Story In Numbers) presents Japan National Police Agency’s finalized statistics on specialized fraud for 2022.

Japan’s 2022 fraud statistics reveal alarming trends! Nationwide losses increased by 31.5% to JPY 37.1 billion, marking the first rise in eight years. Reported fraud cases soared by 21.2%, totaling 17,570 cases. Major cities like Tokyo, Kanagawa, and Osaka were hit hardest by these scams. The most common types were refund fraud, ore ore sagi (impersonation scams), and cash card scams. Shockingly, ore ore sagi alone accounted for JPY 12.9 billion, making up 35% of the total losses. Young individuals, often lured online, were found to be involved as accomplices in many cases.