The Consumer Affairs Agency has set up a study group of experts to discuss countermeasures against psychiatric sales and other fraudulent business methods, citing growing social demand for stronger responses to psychiatric sales over issues such as the Former Unification Church. was established and its first meeting was held.
Members of the committee said, ``It is necessary to expand consultation services not only to the government but also to the private sector, which has expertise,'' and ``How effective is the right to cancel a contract stipulated in the Consumer Contract Act? There was an opinion that it should be verified whether
The Consumer Affairs Agency's "Study Group on Countermeasures against Malicious Business Methods such as Inspirational Sales" started online at 5:30 pm on the 29th. Eight people attended, including Professor Kimiaki Nishida of Rissho University.
Minister of Consumer Affairs Kono "Discuss how to prevent and relieve damage"
At the beginning, Minister of State for Consumer Affairs Kono said, ``Aside from the government-wide meeting, the Consumer Affairs Agency also wants to take a hard look at how it responded to the psychic marketing law. After that, there is a story that it began to move from the psychic marketing method to something like donations, but whether the Consumer Affairs Agency was able to respond at that time, how to prevent damage at the same time as verification, how to prevent damage I would like you to actively discuss whether to provide relief and how to respond to business operators."
After that, the secretariat of the Consumer Affairs Agency explained about examples of psychic marketing and how to deal with it, and the number of consultations on good luck marketing, including psychic marketing, that are sent to consumer affairs centers nationwide is about 1,200 to 1,500 every year. It was explained that there were many elderly people in their 70s and older who consulted.
Attorney Kito "Consultation desk not only for the government but also for the private sector with expertise"
After that, an exchange of opinions was held among the committee members, during which lawyer Masaki Kito said, ``We can't pick up all of the types of damage consultations just by consulting with the Consumer Affairs Center or the Consumer Affairs Agency. It is necessary to spread it to the private sector, which has expertise, instead of putting it in place."
Lawyer Sugano "I want to know whether the right to cancel a contract under the psychic marketing law is effective"
Attorney Shiori Kanno also said, "Since the revision of the Consumer Contract Act and the establishment of the right to cancel contracts regarding the psychiatric marketing law, it is necessary to analyze how much it has been exercised and how much it has been resolved. How effective it is. I would like to know if there is such a thing," he asked the Consumer Affairs Agency.
The review meeting will be held online every week, and in principle will be published on the official account of the Consumer Affairs Agency on YouTube.
Group that provides consultation support "I want you to set up a contact point where you can continue consultation as soon as possible"
Regarding the first meeting of the Consumer Affairs Agency's expert panel to discuss countermeasures against fraudulent business practices such as psychiatric marketing, an organization that has been providing consultation support for the former Unification Church for many years said, "We can continue to consult. I want the window to be installed with a sense of speed."
Since 2003, the Unification Church Victim Families Association has provided counseling and support for financial troubles and withdrawal from the former Unification Church.
A couple in their 60s who were involved in the establishment of this group began attending a facility affiliated with the former Unification Church 25 years ago.
It was about a year after I started going to the facility that I learned that it was the Former Unification Church, but I thought, "I can quit whenever I want to, so I'll study a little more." I bought it, went to related facilities in South Korea, and deepened my relationship.
One day, her husband happened to find a book about the former Unification Church in her wife's bag. That is to say, he dropped out of the company.
A couple who watched the first meeting on the 29th said, "I would like the government to set up a contact point that can be consulted on an ongoing basis with a sense of speed, rather than limiting the period."
After that, he said, "Consultation as a consumer problem is only a small part of the damage, and I would like you to consider creating a system to scoop up the damage that has not yet been revealed."
What is the “Study Group on Countermeasures against Malicious Business Methods such as Spiritual Marketing”?
The "Study Group on Countermeasures against Malicious Business Methods such as Spiritual Marketing" was newly established in the Consumer Affairs Agency in order to prevent damage caused by so-called "psychic marketing" and examine measures for relieving damage.
The study group will examine how the Consumer Affairs Agency responded to consultations received in the past, mainly regarding psychic marketing and good luck marketing, and how it can be connected to prevention of damage and relief of damage. A special committee discusses the measures for this.
The committee was chaired by Shoji Kawakami, professor emeritus of the University of Tokyo, and eight members were selected, including lawyer Masaki Kito, who has worked on the issue of the former Unification Church, professor Kimiaki Nishida of Rissho University, who is familiar with cult issues, and the chairman of the National Consumer Affairs Center of Japan. I'm here.
The review meeting will be held online every week and will be open to the public in principle.
At a press conference on the 26th of this month, Consumer Affairs Minister Kono indicated that he would like to compile reports and recommendations as soon as possible.
How the study group was established
Behind the establishment of the study group is the incident in which former Prime Minister Abe was shot and killed during a speech.
Tetsuya Yamagami, who was arrested in this case, is believed to have caused the incident after growing a grudge against the former Unification Church, to which his mother had made a large donation.
After the shooting incident, there has been a rapid increase in the number of consultations regarding money troubles and other issues with the National Association of Lawyers Against Psychic Marketing Laws, which supports former Unification Church members and their families, as well as support groups.
At an inaugural press conference on the 12th of this month, Minister of State for Consumer Affairs Kono said, "Recently, it seems that donations are more mainstream than psychic marketing, but we will quickly set up a study group on psychic marketing within the Consumer Affairs Agency, and I would like to deal with it properly.Since there are so many problems, it is necessary to deal with the psychic marketing law again."
After that, within the agency, the specific contents of the meeting, such as the direction of the meeting and the selection of committee members, were examined, and it was established two weeks after the first announcement.
Regarding the issue of the Former Unification Church, the government has also established the ``Council of Ministries and Agencies Relating to the Former Unification Church Issue'' in which the Ministry of Justice, the National Police Agency, and the Consumer Affairs Agency work together to provide relief to victims. In addition, it is clear that a period of about one month from the beginning of next month will be set up to intensively receive consultations from those who have been affected.
Past trials and incidents related to psychic marketing
In the former Unification Church, the societal problem was the coercion of believers to make large donations and the sales of expensive goods to arouse anxiety.
In 2010, the Fukuoka District Court ordered the former Unification Church to pay more than 100 million yen in damages. ”, and then the case was settled in favor of the plaintiff.
There have been a series of cases that have led to criminal cases. Seven members of the church were arrested on suspicion of violating the Act on Specified Commercial Transactions, and the facilities of the former Unification Church were searched.
Two senior members of the congregation received suspended convictions, and the remaining five received summary orders of fines.
In 2020, the Tokyo District Court ordered the former Unification Church and others to pay more than 4.7 million yen in compensation, and regarding the donations made by former members around 2013, it said, It was pointed out that it was an illegal act, and the trial was subsequently contested up to the Supreme Court, but the judgment of the first trial was maintained and finalized.
In addition to the former Unification Church, the "Spiritual Marketing Method" was carried out by the Yamanashi Prefecture limited company "Kamisekai" group. In 2011, a de facto representative of the group was arrested in the so-called "Kamisekai Incident," which was allegedly followed by a conviction.
Regulations of the psychic marketing law in the law
In 2018, the Consumer Contract Act was amended, and the psychiatric marketing law was stipulated for the first time by adding the right to cancel a contract based on unfair solicitation to "announcement using knowledge obtained from inspiration."
In the Consumer Contract Act, "inspiration" is defined as "the ability to realize supernatural phenomena such as exorcising spirits, removing disasters, and improving fortunes." Using such knowledge as knowledge, arousing anxiety that serious disadvantages will occur if left as it is, pressing for the conclusion of a contract."
As a specific example, the Consumer Affairs Agency said, ``I can see spirits. We are raising cases to sell products.
In addition to religious corporations, organizations that have the appearance of an organization without legal personality are subject to the Consumer Contract Act, and the right to cancel a contract can be exercised retroactively up to five years before the contract was concluded. I can.
On the other hand, in cases involving religious corporations, there are cases where it is not clear whether the interaction between a business operator and a consumer falls under a "consumer contract" within the scope of the Consumer Contract Act.
For example, donations, offerings, and offerings made at the person's will may not be considered a "contract," but may fall under a "single act" that is established only by the individual's manifestation of intention, and may not be subject to the Consumer Contract Act. It is said that there is
Consumer affairs centers nationwide take measures such as contacting bar associations in cases where it is difficult to determine whether the Consumer Contract Act applies.
357 cases (as of the end of July this year)
According to the National Consumer Affairs Center of Japan, consultations about ``spiritual marketing'' sent to consumer affairs centers nationwide are based on the item ``good luck marketing,'' which sells expensive products by taking advantage of consumers' anxiety, saying, ``It will improve your luck.'' The number of consultations for "good luck business method" was 1435 last year and 357 as of the end of July this year.
"Good luck business law" is that recently, consultations on "fortune-telling sites" and "fortune-telling apps" account for the majority.
In response to a series of problems surrounding the former Unification Church, the National Consumer Affairs Center of Japan is working to identify the content of past consultations on "inspired marketing" received by consumer affairs centers nationwide, etc., and shares information with the study group. We will consider what we can do in the future.
Description of the Old Unification Church So Far
"Family Federation for World Peace and Unification," the former Unification Church, said at a press conference on August 10, ``Since some members were arrested in 2009, social and legal issues have arisen. In 1998, there were 78 pending civil lawsuits, but this year the number has decreased to five."
In addition, regarding troubles after the declaration of compliance, in a statement issued on July 17, ``There have been cases where believers who voluntarily donated in the past changed their minds and asked for their money back. We treat such cases in good faith and are working to resolve them."