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Japan’s Immigration Bureau warns foreigners about impostor scammers posing as immigration officials

By on January 26, 2021

Impostor scams can cost you money, cause identity theft and serious consequences  that could impact your financial and mental well-being.

While elderly Japanese people have been the major target of impostors, they now have turned to foreigners too as potential victims.

According to the Regional Immigration Bureaus of Tokyo and Osaka, many people have consulted them lately regarding suspicious phone calls received claiming to be immigration officers.

In order for people not to fall for it, the bureau has posted on its official website the nature of these scams to raise awareness among the foreign community.

The following phone calls were made via an automated voice with a Chinese accent claiming to be Immigration officers.

○ “There is a problem with your passport or residence card. It has been misused in Shanghai and so you cannot enter the country as it is.”

○ “You cannot enter or leave the country because your passport has been used illegally in Shanghai.”

○ “There is something wrong with your passport or visa and you cannot renew it as is. ” 

○ “A counterfeit of your passport had been created and used in China. Please bring your passport, bankbook and proof of identity to the Immigration Bureau.”

The Immigration Bureau of Japan said that it does not contact anyone by phone regarding passports issued by a country. People who receive such calls are urged not to answer and instead contact the local immigration bureau by phone. 

○ “Since you will need to pay for returning to your home country, please transfer your unpaid salary to the designated account.”

The Immigration Bureau of Japan does not require you to transfer fees or other money as a matter of immigration procedures.

○ “I was asked to transfer an immigration fee by phone because the foreigner I know apparently got stranded at the immigration in the airport.”

One suspicious call received in Japanese (later replaced by a Chinese-speaking person during the call), also claimed to be from the Immigration Bureau.

○ A person claiming to be an immigration officer told the foreigner something wasn’t right about his passport. He was instructed by caller to contact the police in his home country through a tel number given to him. After several exchanges, the person claiming to be the police told him that they have decided to detain him.When he contacted him again, he was asked to remit a bail so he can get things in order.
Another suspicious call received in automated Chinese voice  went like this.
○ “Your Japanese residence card  which is not in order will expire soon. Please apply to the reception center as soon as possible. For inquiries about the cause of the expiration, please press the number ‘xxx’.”

 

Another call claiming to be from an Immigration officer gave instructions to post bail for an acquaintance.

○ “I was requested to transfer bail for a foreigner I know who was banned from entering the country and was being detained at the Immigration Center in the airport.”

When scammers impersonate an official, they’ll use all possible scenarios to tell their target victims that there is a problem with his or her identification papers, etc. The scammers will then offer to “fix” the problem in return for a fee. Sometimes, it isn’t about money. There are also scams that collect personal information like names, dates of birth, MyNumber, bank account and/or addresses—all of which can be used to steal the victim’s identity.

 

About Ted Tanaka