Tokyo police have arrested the head of a fraud group believed to be linked to hundreds of fraud cases in Japan, along with six related people.

The seven men, including the 40-year-old head, Munemasa Takahashi, allegedly took four bank cards from a woman in her 80s in Niiza, Saitama Prefecture, and defrauded her of ¥4 million in cash around Nov. 8, 2024.

The woman was deceived through a telephone call from a person posing as a Japanese Bankers Association official, saying that her money was being transferred from her account.

The International Crime Division of the Metropolitan Police Department has not disclosed whether the seven have admitted to the allegations against them.

The other suspects include Hajime Omika, 41, and Taichi Kishinami, 46, both of whom were allegedly involved in giving instructions or handling the defrauded money.

According to the division, the group was involved in at least 500 fraud cases in Tokyo and three prefectures between February 2023 and this month. The total damage is estimated to exceed ¥2.2 billion.

In connection with the cases, 29 people have been arrested, including those assigned to collect cash. The division suspects that the swindled money was sent to an organized crime syndicate.

The fraud group recruited members through social media. A highly confidential communication app was used within the group.

Those who collected cash worked from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and apparently received 3% to 10% of the defrauded money as compensation.

The swindled cash was delivered to Takahashi on weekends after being hidden in luggage lockers, delivery boxes in condominiums, or roadside shrubberies, sources said.