Phone scam is a general term for criminal acts that use telephone calls to defraud victims of money or personal information. In National Police Agency statistics the phenomenon is called "special fraud" (tokushu sagi), and the tactics are grouped into ore-ore fraud, deposit fraud, cash card theft by deception, fictitious billing fraud, refund fraud, and everything else. The informal umbrella term "bank transfer fraud" (ore-ore sagi) is still widely used, but as of 2026 it is not one of the category names in the statistics. In 2023, approximately 19,000 cases were reported with total losses of about 45.3 billion yen (NPA finalized figures), averaging roughly 2.4 million yen per case (total losses divided by reported cases).
Tactics are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Beyond the traditional pattern of impersonating a family member to demand cash, newer schemes include tax refund fraud by callers posing as municipal or tax office staff, impersonating police officers claiming "your bank account has been used in a crime," and even using voice cloning technology to mimic a family member's voice. The common thread is psychological manipulation that creates "urgency" and "authority" to override rational judgment. Phrases like "you must transfer the money today or you'll be arrested" or "don't tell anyone about this" are strong indicators of fraud.
According to National Police Agency statistics, people aged 65 and older accounted for 78.4% of victims in 2023. That said, younger people are not immune. Hybrid schemes are also reported, such as recruiting for side jobs via social media and then using phone calls to direct investment transfers, or using smishing (SMS fraud) to lure victims to fake websites before an operator calls to extract personal information. Caller ID spoofing can display real bank or government numbers to build trust, making it dangerous to judge safety by the displayed number alone.
The three fundamental defenses are: first, if money comes up during a phone call, hang up and call back using the official contact number; second, keep voicemail on at all times and do not answer unknown numbers directly - criminals dislike being recorded, so voicemail alone acts as a deterrent; third, establish a family code word in advance. See Bank Transfer Fraud Prevention for detailed countermeasures by scam type and Phone Scam Reporting Guide for what to do if you become a victim.