Shiga Prefecture is experimenting with a novel idea to crack down on crooks trying to squeeze money out of unsuspecting people by billing them for, say, paid adult Internet sites they have never used.
Acting with the local office of the Finance Ministry and local police, the prefectural government is trying to close the extortion loop by asking banks to shut down accounts designated for the payment of bogus bills.
Along with a sharp growth in paid Internet services, a new con game has sprung up, making money by sending fictitious bills to a large number of addresses, demanding payment for Internet services to a designated bank account.
The scam operators typically use official sounding names, such as "Loan Collection Group" and "Debt Management Union," and the bills go out by e-mail, telegram or postcard.