The Metropolitan Police Department is calling for caution after a series of scams have been confirmed in Tokyo in which people are lured to a fake Metropolitan Police Department website pretending to be investigators and forced to enter bank account numbers and PIN numbers.
According to the Metropolitan Police Department, there were four cases confirmed in Tokyo last month where someone claiming to be an investigator called and said, ``A warrant has been issued for your arrest for being an accomplice to fraud.''
In both cases, the caller received a call on a mobile phone without providing the number, and the caller said something like, ``You can check the arrest warrant on the Metropolitan Police Department's website,'' and sent a link via SNS message to a fake Metropolitan Police Department website. This means that they have been guided to.
The fake site had a design similar to the real one, had items such as ``Arrest Warrant'' and ``Financial Investigation,'' and asked users to enter their name, bank account number, and PIN.
In some cases, the other party's SNS profile displayed names such as ``Investigation Headquarters'' or ``Metropolitan Police Department,'' and the recipient said, ``We need funds for an investigation,'' and instructed them to transfer the funds.
At least three fake sites have been identified so far and have now been shut down.
The Metropolitan Police Department is calling for caution, saying it is a ``phishing scam'' that uses a fake website to steal bank account information.