Voicemail Is the Ultimate Anti-Fraud Measure
The simplest and most effective way to prevent special fraud is to not answer the phone. And using voicemail to screen calls instead is a crime prevention strategy officially recommended by the National Police Agency. A 2023 NPA analysis found that approximately 90% of special fraud victims answered the scammer's call directly, while fraud via voicemail was extremely rare.
Why is voicemail so effective? The answer lies in the psychology of scammers and the mechanics of their operations. This article analyzes the mechanism by which voicemail prevents fraud from a criminal psychology perspective, and provides specific setup instructions and usage tips. Read alongside basic bank transfer fraud prevention.
Three Reasons Scammers Hate Voicemail
Reason 1: Recordings Become Evidence
Voicemail messages record the scammer's voiceprint, speech patterns, aliases used, and demands - all physical evidence. In police investigations, recorded data directly aids suspect identification and accomplice tracking. Fraud groups are extremely averse to leaving evidence, so the vast majority hang up the moment voicemail answers.
According to the Metropolitan Police Department's special fraud analysis, the rate at which scammers continue talking after voicemail answers is less than 5%. Over 95% of scammers disconnect the instant they hear the voicemail greeting. As explained in the legal guide to call recording, recording your own calls is legal in Japan, and voicemail recordings are valid as evidence.
Reason 2: Psychological Pressure Cannot Be Applied
Special fraud tactics depend on denying victims time to think and forcing immediate action through psychological pressure. Urgency tactics like "Transfer now or you'll be arrested" or "This must be resolved today" only work when the target is on the line in real time. Leaving a voicemail message eliminates this dynamic entirely.
When victims listen to voicemail messages later, they can evaluate the content calmly. Time to consult family members also becomes available. As explained in the psychology of phone scams targeting the elderly, most fraud victimization results from "snap decisions made in a state of panic." Voicemail physically blocks this panic state.
Reason 3: It's Inefficient
Fraud groups make hundreds to thousands of calls per day, screening respondents for the most gullible targets. Numbers where voicemail answers are immediately flagged as "can't reach directly" and removed from the list. For scammers, leaving a message and waiting for a callback is a waste of time - moving to the next target is more efficient.
This "inefficiency" is the essence of voicemail's crime prevention power. Scammers want to find the easiest targets as efficiently as possible, and have no incentive to spend time on numbers protected by voicemail.
The Police-Recommended "Don't Answer" Strategy
The NPA and prefectural police forces repeatedly urge citizens to "set voicemail even when home and don't answer calls from unknown numbers." This strategy, called "border control" (mizugiwa taisaku), aims to prevent any contact between scammers and potential victims.
A Tokyo Metropolitan Government survey found that households with voicemail always on had a special fraud victimization rate approximately one-tenth that of households without it. Some municipalities provide free automatic call-recording phones to elderly households. See how to choose an anti-fraud phone for details on call-screening devices.
The Effect of Automatic Warning Messages
Many anti-fraud phones play an automatic message to callers: "This call is being recorded for nuisance call prevention." This creates psychological pressure on scammers by signaling that they are being recorded. In a Metropolitan Police pilot program, areas where automatic warning phones were deployed saw nuisance call volume drop by approximately 70%.
Carrier-Specific Voicemail Setup
NTT Docomo
Docomo's voicemail service costs 330 yen/month (tax included). Dial 1412 to activate and 1413 to deactivate. Ring time can be changed with 1419 + seconds. For crime prevention, set the ring time to the minimum of 5 seconds so calls go to voicemail almost immediately.
au (KDDI)
au's voicemail service (Orusuban Service EX) costs 330 yen/month (tax included). Dial 1411 to activate and 1410 to deactivate. Ring time is changed with 1418 + seconds. au's visual voicemail feature also allows checking messages as text.
SoftBank
SoftBank's Voicemail Plus costs 330 yen/month (tax included). iPhone users have visual voicemail available by default. Dial 1406 to change settings.
Landlines
For NTT landlines, use the phone's built-in answering machine or combine NTT's call forwarding service with voicemail. When choosing a phone with voicemail, check recording duration and whether it includes an automatic warning message feature. Combining with nuisance call blocking is even more effective.
Tips for Effective Voicemail Use
Set a Short Ring Time
Keep the number of rings (seconds) before voicemail activates as short as possible. A long ring time increases the chance of picking up before voicemail kicks in. 5-10 seconds (2-3 rings) is the recommended setting for crime prevention.
Check Messages Daily
When voicemail is always on, make it a habit to check messages daily to avoid missing important calls. Let family and friends know: "I have voicemail on, so please leave a message."
Register Family Numbers in Your Contacts
Save family and frequent contacts in your phonebook and set the phone to ring normally for saved numbers. Most smartphones and anti-fraud phones allow different response settings for contacts vs. unknown numbers.
Set Up Voicemail for Elderly Family Members
If elderly family members have difficulty changing settings themselves, configure voicemail for them during visits. After setup, repeatedly explain: "You don't need to answer calls from unknown numbers. Voicemail will take a message, and you can decide what to do after listening."
Cases Where Voicemail Alone Isn't Enough
Voicemail is a powerful tool but not foolproof. When scammers use caller ID spoofing to display a family member's or acquaintance's number, the call may bypass voicemail because it appears to come from a saved contact. Scammers have also been known to leave convincing voicemail messages to prompt callbacks.
Voicemail is a "first line of defense" - its effectiveness is maximized when combined with the ability to calmly evaluate message content and the habit of consulting family or police when something seems off. See also how to handle calls from unknown numbers.