TOKYO - Three men have been arrested on suspicion of attempting to defraud a flood victim in Chiba Prefecture of 3.2 million yen by falsely claiming that his electrical breaker panel and flooring needed urgent repairs, in a type of scam that has surged nationwide in recent years.
The suspects, Riku Matsudo, 23, Kotaro Shiozuka, 22, and Hyo Takiguchi, 22, were sent to prosecutors on September 2 on suspicion of attempted fraud.
Police believe the group targeted a man in Mobara, Chiba Prefecture, whose home had been flooded during record heavy rain in August.
"I feel nothing but anger. The more days that pass, the angrier I get," the victim said. "Taking money by exploiting someone's vulnerability is something an ordinary person couldn't even imagine doing."
Mobara was among the areas badly affected by the August downpours, with roads around the railway station inundated. A total of 217 buildings in the city suffered flooding either above or below floor level, and recovery work is still continuing.
According to the victim, Matsudo arrived at his flooded home on August 30 and claimed that he had been sent by Mobara city hall to visit houses affected by underfloor flooding.
The man told Matsudo that it was not a convenient time. Matsudo returned the following day with Shiozuka and Takiguchi.
The men used a smartphone light to look beneath the floor and allegedly told the resident that electrical wiring beneath the kitchen could be leaking electricity and posed a risk of fire.
They then claimed there was a problem with the breaker panel and that it needed to be replaced, while also telling the man that his floorboards had become soft and should be repaired.
The victim became suspicious because the men did not provide business cards, their names or the name of their company.
"They didn't give me a business card, didn't tell me their names and didn't say what company they were from," he said. "I thought, this is strange. By that point, I knew something was wrong."
The men then allegedly demanded 3.2 million yen in cash for the work.
The victim told them he would be able to withdraw the money later in the afternoon and persuaded them to leave. He then contacted Mobara city hall and learned that the claim that they had been dispatched by the city was false, prompting him to call police.
When Matsudo and Shiozuka returned to the house that afternoon, investigators who had been waiting nearby arrested them at the scene.
The victim said he had agreed with police to use the phrase "the money" as a signal.
"I said, 'the money,' to the suspects," he said. "Then two police officers came in as I moved away and restrained them."
Takiguchi, who police believe had been driving the group's vehicle, fled by car but was later arrested.
All three suspects have remained silent during police questioning, according to investigators.
Residents and businesses still recovering from the flooding expressed anger that people affected by the disaster had been targeted.
A manager of a milk delivery business that suffered flood damage described the alleged scheme as "despicable," saying it exploited people when they were vulnerable.
Another flood victim said it was difficult to understand how anyone could take advantage of people who were already struggling after a disaster.
The case comes as complaints involving inspections of residential distribution boards, which house circuit breakers and other electrical equipment, have risen sharply across Japan.
According to the National Consumer Affairs Center of Japan, annual consultations involving distribution board inspections ranged from the low teens to around 30 cases between fiscal 2020 and fiscal 2023.
The number jumped to 1,290 in fiscal 2024, roughly 33 times the previous level, before surging to more than 6,500 in fiscal 2025.
Nearly 3,000 consultations had already been reported by the end of August in fiscal 2026, putting the total on course to exceed the previous year's level.
Similar cases have occurred in Tokyo.
Five men were arrested in August on suspicion of carrying out unnecessary distribution board replacement work for six people, including a woman in Edogawa Ward, and fraudulently obtaining more than 3 million yen in total.
The five are also suspected of attempting to deceive a woman in Kasama, Ibaraki Prefecture, by telling her that wiring inside her distribution board had been burned and falsely blaming the damage on lightning and heavy rain two years earlier.
Police have not established any connection between that case and the attempted fraud in Mobara.
The cases nevertheless share a common method in which suspects allegedly heighten residents' fears by claiming that breakers are malfunctioning or electrical wiring has been burned.
Yuya Niidome, deputy head of the Transmission and Distribution Grid Council, which represents Japan's 10 general electricity transmission and distribution companies, said legitimate inspections of residential distribution boards are carried out once every four years under the Electricity Business Act.
"Even during a disaster, inspectors will not suddenly visit a home for an inspection," Niidome said.
Residents are always notified in writing in advance of the date and time of an inspection, and utilities generally do not arrange such inspections by telephone or through an unannounced visit, he said.
Workers carrying out legitimate inspections are also required to carry identification, and residents who are concerned should ask for the worker's name and company.
The inspections are conducted free of charge. A demand for payment should therefore be treated as a strong warning sign of possible fraud.
An electrical contractor in Oamishirasato, Chiba Prefecture, which was also affected by the heavy rain, said electricians may replace electrical outlets in homes flooded above floor level but would not normally replace the distribution board simply because a house had been flooded.
Mobara city hall warned that criminals may falsely claim to represent the municipal government during disasters and urged residents to remain cautious.
Anyone who encounters a suspicious visitor is advised not to hand over money on the spot and instead verify the claim with their local government or contact Japan's consumer hotline by dialing 188.
Source: FNN
