The amount of money stolen in social media-based investment fraud cases and romance scam cases in Japan in 2023 totaled ¥45.52 billion, National Police Agency (NPA) data showed Thursday.
The figure was higher than the ¥44.12 billion stolen in remittance and other special fraud cases, according to the data.
The NPA conducted its first survey on social media-linked investment frauds and romance scams as the amount of damage from such cases surged last year. In romance scams, perpetrators exploit individuals emotionally to trick them into sending money.