Swindlers can earn up to ¥5 million a month through money scams and fraudulent wire transfers, but such returns appear to be on the decline, a former member of a Tokyo fraud syndicate said in a recent interview.
The ex-con man, who is about 40 years old and spoke on condition of anonymity, gave the interview at a cafe in a commercial district in central Tokyo last month. He said he spent more than 10 years with the group but has now left it.
Wearing an expensive watch and carrying a brand-name bag, the man was initially checking news websites on his smartphone. He explained that fraudsters tend to that, as the news "is a good source of (fraud) tricks too."