Some 196 cases of fraud using forged revenue stamps were found in 16 prefectures since August, police sources said Wednesday.
Sources said counterfeit revenue stamps were found at post offices, ticket brokers and convenience stores nationwide, indicating they were issued by an organized crime syndicate. The revenue stamps were believed to have been used to obtain money by asking for refunds or changes to revenue stamps of different face value.
The National Police Agency found that damage from the fraud totaled about ¥9.55 million as of late October, while Japan Post Co. said it found through a separate investigation that about 78,500 forged revenue stamps were brought to post offices in at least nine prefectures by late September, resulting in damage of some ¥15 million.
The agency has asked police nationwide to issue warnings, and the police are investigating the cases, according to the sources. Japan Post has requested post offices to put up signs informing customers of such fraud.
Convenience store chain Circle K Sunkus Co. said fraud cases were reported in the firm's stores in the Kanto region and it instructed stores to refuse refund requests of a large amount of revenue stamps. Seven-Eleven Japan Co. also said the firm reported similar cases to the police and had warned its stores.
The owner of a convenience store in Kobe said the forged revenue stamps were so well made that it was difficult even for professionals to distinguish them from real ones. The store stopped selling revenue stamps and started asking customers to buy them at post offices, the owner said.