First, Stay Calm
Realizing that you may have been scammed is frightening, and panic is a completely normal reaction. The good news is that acting quickly keeps the damage small. Take a breath, then contact one of the services below - every one of them is free to consult. According to National Police Agency figures, when a victim of bank transfer fraud reports the incident within 30 minutes, freezing the receiving account succeeds roughly 70% of the time. Once more than 24 hours have passed, the success rate falls below 10%. In other words, every minute you save improves your chances of recovering the money.
In an Emergency: Police (110)
If you have just transferred money, or the person is still nearby, call 110 right away. When the transfer happened only moments ago, the bank may still be able to stop it. The 110 line is staffed 24 hours a day and the call is free. Once you are connected, say that you have been the victim of a scam, then explain briefly when you sent money, how much, and where it went. The police will immediately coordinate with the financial institution to start the account freeze.
Some people hesitate to dial 110, but fraud is a serious crime. There is no need to wonder whether your situation is important enough for an emergency call. If you are actually being defrauded, use 110 without hesitation.
When You Want Advice: Police Consultation Line (#9110)
If you are not sure whether what happened was a scam, or you cannot decide whether to file a formal report, call #9110. A police consultation officer will talk it through with you. Unlike 110, this line exists for questions that are not emergencies.
- Hours: weekdays 8:30 - 17:15 (varies by prefecture)
- Call charges: standard call rates apply
Describe the call you received and the officer will tell you whether it matches a known fraud pattern. You can call at the stage of "I got a suspicious call but have not paid anything yet." Consulting puts you under no obligation to file a report, so there is no need to hold back. The conversation goes more smoothly if you note down the date and time of the call, the other party's number if you have it, and what was said. Where you have a call recording, the officer can give you a more precise assessment.
Consumer Troubles in General: Consumer Hotline (188)
Dialing 188 connects you to your local consumer affairs center, which handles consumer troubles of every kind. Japanese speakers remember the number through the phrase "iya ya", which sounds like 1-8-8 and means roughly "oh no".
- Fraudulent or fictitious billing
- Aggressive sales calls
- Contract disputes
- How to exercise cooling-off rights
Hours differ by area, but weekday daytime coverage is almost universal. Counselors at consumer affairs centers specialize in consumer problems, so they can give concrete advice on situations such as "I was pushed into a contract over the phone and want out" or "an invoice arrived for something I never bought." They can also mediate with the business on your behalf, which helps a great deal when calling the company yourself feels intimidating.
If You Have Already Transferred Money
Call Your Bank
Phone the bank you transferred from and tell them you have been the victim of bank transfer fraud. They may be able to freeze the receiving account. Even outside branch hours you can reach someone through the phone installed in the ATM area or the bank's emergency contact number. Pass on the recipient's bank name, branch name, and account number if you know them.
The Fraud Recovery Act
The Act on Payment of Damage Recovery Benefits Using Funds in Deposit Accounts Used for Crimes, commonly known as the Fraud Recovery Act, allows money to be returned to victims out of the balance left in a frozen account. Once the account is frozen, the Deposit Insurance Corporation of Japan publishes the procedure, and victims apply to receive a distribution. Full recovery is not guaranteed, but if the account is frozen before the criminals withdraw the funds, a substantial amount may come back. It is worth reading our guide to preventing bank transfer fraud as well, so the same thing does not happen twice.
If You Gave Out Your Credit Card Details
Call the card company immediately and have the card suspended. The emergency number is printed on the back of the card, and most issuers answer around the clock. Once the card is stopped, go through your statement for charges you did not make. Where unauthorized use is found, most card companies provide compensation if the loss falls within 60 days of your report. Ask for a reissue with a new number, and remember to update the card details registered with any services, such as subscriptions, that were tied to the old number.
If You Gave Out Personal Information
- Name and address → watch for suspicious mail and unannounced visitors, and stay alert to calls from companies you do not know
- Account number or PIN → contact the bank to freeze the account, and change the PIN straight away
- My Number, Japan's individual identification number → consult the counter at your municipal office, and consider suspending your My Number card temporarily
- Password → change it immediately, along with every other service where you reused the same password
Handing over personal information does not always cause immediate harm, but it can be exploited later. Phone scam groups in particular recycle the details they collect into further schemes, so stay wary of calls from unfamiliar numbers for a while. If nuisance calls start to increase, our guide to blocking nuisance calls covers the filtering services the carriers offer.
Scams That Begin Online or by Message
These days scams do not always start with a phone call. Text messages and emails steer people to fake websites that then prompt them to dial a number. If you called a number listed in a message such as "you have an unpaid balance" or "your account has been suspended", the services above are still the right place to turn. Smishing, which is phishing by SMS, and vishing, which is phishing by phone, grow more sophisticated every year. Never call a phone number given in a message you were not expecting. If you have already been caught out, report it promptly using our guide to reporting phone scams.
For Teens Who Find It Hard to Ask for Help
If you cannot bring yourself to tell anyone because you expect your parents to be angry, the lines below are open to you as well. What you say is kept confidential.
- Childline: 0120-99-7777 (for under 18s, free, daily 16:00 - 21:00)
- Children's Human Rights Hotline: 0120-007-110 (Ministry of Justice, free, weekdays 8:30 - 17:15)
Trouble over in-game purchases and scams that arrive through social media reach teenagers more and more often. Do not assume the fault is yours - start by telling someone. Asking for advice is nothing to be ashamed of.
What to Have Ready Before You Call
Whichever service you contact, having the following at hand makes the conversation easier.
- The date and time of the suspicious call
- The caller's number (check your call history)
- What was said and what you were asked to do
- Any information you gave out, such as your name, address, or account number
- If you transferred money, the recipient's details and the amount
- Any call recording or screenshots you kept
You do not need all of it. Tell them what you know and the counselor will draw out the rest.
Summary
If you think you may have been scammed, set embarrassment aside and get advice straight away. The sooner you act, the more you can limit the damage. When in doubt, start with #9110 for police consultation or 188 for the consumer hotline. If money has already left your account, contacting the bank and the police as fast as possible comes before anything else. Your call may also be what stops the same scheme from reaching the next person.