Beat Takeshi Warns Against Special Fraud Schemes

Mar 11, 2024 | News On Japan

TOKYO - On Sunday's broadcast of "Beat Takeshi's TV Tackle" (TV Asahi), Beat Takeshi warned against special fraud schemes, with the program featureding victims of investment fraud.

In the studio, economic commentator Kohei Morinaga explained the fraudsters' methods of using his name without permission and shared his experience: "After I couldn't get in touch with them anymore, I went to the nearest police station, presented all the evidence, and reported the fraud, asking them to take action." He revealed that the police did not act, telling him, "You yourself haven't been a victim of fraud, right? It's just a case of infringement of your right to your likeness."

Sawako Agawa asked, "Isn't there a way to spot fraud in advance?" Morinaga pointed out that scammers always end up promising "principal guarantees" when closing the deal. "However, offering financial products with a principal guarantee is an illegal act, except by certain specified financial institutions," he warned.

Makoto Otake questioned, "Is 'principal guarantee' an illegal act?" to which Morinaga clarified, "Offering financial products with a principal guarantee is only permitted for certain financial institutions."

Upon hearing this, Agawa inquired, "What should you say to phone scammers, like those claiming unpaid site fees, to make them hang up?" Morinaga advised, "The important thing is they dislike being told you will verify the information. Saying you'll check with your husband or father, or asking to take a moment to think, they'll find you troublesome and give up."

After listening to the conversation, Takeshi pointed out, "If you think about it normally, there's no way to make money easily." He continued, "If it's something worth recommending to others, they would do it themselves. Make sure you never think you're special, and always assume that pretty much everything is an attempt to deceive you. There's no such thing as a truly good deal."

Despite warnings from police and media, special fraud continues to exist. In a survey conducted by Sirabee's editorial department on March 27-28, 2023, targeting 1,000 men and women nationwide aged 10 to 60, 15.9% responded that they had received a call related to special fraud.

If you receive a suspicious call, do not make a judgment on the spot; instead, hang up and verify the information.

Source: MDPR

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