Japanese Authorities Arrest Two Suspects in $515K Crypto Scam Involving Fake Police

Japanese authorities have arrested two individuals suspected of participating in a cryptocurrency scam involving fake police officers. Saki Okayama, 31, and Mitsuki Minamisawa, 38, were detained on suspicion of helping an organized crime group steal approximately 81 million yen from a woman in her 40s.

The scheme began with a phone call from a man claiming to represent the Osaka Prefectural Police. He told the victim that her bank card was connected to a money laundering investigation and that she needed to 'prove her innocence' by transferring cryptocurrency. The woman allegedly transferred assets worth around $515,000.

Police believe the group operated from Cambodia, with a Chinese national suspected of directing the operation. The suspects have been linked to an estimated 240 million yen in losses through their involvement in fake police scams.