Newsfrom Japan
Tokyo, May 9 (Jiji Press)–At a time when the Nikkei 225 stock average is hitting record highs, Japanese police are warning of online investment scams, particularly fake websites that display large profits and encourage additional investments.
“There are probably victims who are still unaware that they have been cheated,” a senior police official said.
According to Tokyo’s Metropolitan Police Department and other sources, losses from such online investment scams surged 55.5 billion yen from the previous year to total a record 182.7 billion yen in 2025.
In most cases, people fall victim to fraud through online advertisements using the names of celebrities and direct messages on social media. They are then introduced to trading apps and websites.
After starting with small-lot investments, victims are shown fake balances with apparent gains and advised to invest more.
[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
