Consumers in Japan lost ¥6 trillion through fraud in 2013, according to a recent survey by the Consumer Affairs Agency. The total amount that was cheated, swindled, stolen or tricked from consumers is equivalent to 1.2 percent of Japan's entire gross domestic product. Japan is often said to be a low-crime country; however, the results of this first-ever compilation of data on fraud shows that Japan may not be as safe as most people like to believe.
Although the agency and police have worked to make people more aware of the ways in which they can be cheated out of their money, more than 10 million incidents were reported last year, with the average loss coming to ¥590,000.
That's a phenomenal loss for many people, especially the elderly, who are often targeted by swindlers. The agency handles all incidents involving consumer problems, and some reports noted swindles as large as millions of yen.