TOMIOKA, Gunma — A bank worker in eastern Japan’s Gunma Prefecture prevented a man in his 60s from becoming a victim of a romance scam when he attempted to send ¥100,000 ($686) to someone he had met via an online dating application. The individual received recognition for their actions in the form of an official commendation from law enforcement officials on May 8th.
Kumiko Jingu, 51, a section head at Shinonome Shinkin Bank’s Shimonita Branch in the Gunma Prefecture town of Shimonita, said she alerted police after meeting the man face-to-face and judging that the attempted transfer was “98% suspicious.”
Jingu received a call from the man via an intercom attached to an automatic teller machine at the branch at around 3:30 p.m. on April 25. “I want to make a bank transfer. Is that possible?” the man asked. Jingu responded that he could, but headed straight to the ATM.
When she inquired with the man regarding the reason for the transfer, he stated it was for “foreign currency exchange,” which wasn’t typically managed at their branch. Detecting an anomaly, Jinju chose to press him for more details.
“He mentioned, ‘I plan to send 100,000 yen to a female contact I’ve been chatting with on social media since yesterday,’” he stated. After receiving approval to check the conversations, Jingu noticed that their exchanges began with “Hello,” and there was an additional post labeled as “Official” alongside dollar-to-yen conversion rates and details about transferring funds.
Jingu felt perplexed. “Could this be a scam or is it legitimate?” she pondered. “If he puts his money in, he may show some interest initially, but afterward, he won’t retrieve it,” she thought as she assessed the man’s predicament, deeming it “98% dubious.” She led him toward the bank to discuss further details. On their way inside, the man whispered, “What if this turns out to be a scam?”
Inside the branch, further details were gathered, and Jingu consulted the branch manager and deputy manager. She then contacted the police. Some 30 minutes had passed since the man initially called staff via the ATM intercom. An internet search of the woman’s name reportedly yielded no relevant information on foreign currency investments.
As reported by the Tomioka Police Station, the man interacted online with an individual pretending to be a female resident from Takasaki City in Gunma Prefecture through a dating application sometime around February. Following their initial contact, they continued communicating. A few days prior to visiting the local bank branch, this acquaintance proposed going out together for dinner and watching a film. They then moved their conversation to another social networking site, wherein the person informed him that making a deposit of 100,000 yen would entitle him to receive daily interest payments amounting to 1,000 yen.
Jingu voiced her relief that the individual hadn’t lost their funds. “It’s good he didn’t become upset with my reply, return home, and transfer money through another bank,” she commented. Apparently, this marked her second occasion to be honored with an award of recognition from the Gunma Prefectural Police.
“In the future, I’ll continue to rely on the police when I’m not 100% sure about exchanges with customers without looking for reasons not to report the matter to the police,” she said.
Chief Hitoshi Hirukawa from Tomioka Police Station, who awarded the certificate of recognition, commented, “Her consistent vigilance and proactive behavior contributed significantly to this prevention. We encourage her to keep utilizing our police services effectively.”
(Originally written in Japanese by Sakae Kato, from the Maebashi Bureau)
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