Consultations about troubles related to "side business business business methods" such as side jobs and investments are increasing, especially among the younger generation. Recently, the National Consumer Affairs Center has been calling attention to the fact that apps that remotely control smartphones and other devices are being abused when solicited.
According to the National Consumer Affairs Center, more than 4,1 consultations on "side business business practices" such as side jobs and investments were received at consumer life centers nationwide in the year to April last year, the highest number in the past five years, with teens and 1-somethings accounting for half of the consultations.
Among them, consultations on methods such as making people borrow money using apps that remotely control smartphones and other devices are becoming more prominent.
Specifically,
when a woman in her 5000s refused a recommendation for an expensive support plan related to a side job because she "didn't have enough money," she was instructed to download a remote control app such as "teaching how to borrow," and she operated the screen according to the other party's instructions and borrowed 5 million yen.
▽ There have been cases of men in their 10s applying for debt while sharing their screen with the other party on a remote-controlled app, and personal information such as driver's license was revealed to the other party.
In addition to screen sharing, some remote control apps entrust the operation to the other party, and there is a risk that personal information such as location information, email exchanges, and SNS account information will be leaked.
The National Consumer Affairs Center cautions against responding easily to requests from third parties to download remote control apps.