In a disturbing report released by the National Police Agency, Japan has recorded a staggering total of 324.1 billion yen in damages due to special fraud and SNS-based investment and romance scams in 2025, marking a 1.6 times increase from the previous year and the highest figure recorded to date. The report highlights 27,758 cases of special fraud, with damage amounting to 141.4 billion yen—double the amount reported the previous year. SNS-type investment fraud, with 9,538 cases, caused 127.4 billion yen in damages, while romance scams, with 5,604 reported cases, accounted for 55.2 billion yen. The alarming growth in these scams highlights a severe societal issue, necessitating immediate action from law enforcement agencies.

The prevalence of "fake police scams" has emerged as a significant contributor, accounting for 98.5 billion yen of the total damages. In these cases, scammers impersonate police officers to extract money from victims. The average loss per victim has also increased, climbing to 5.21 million yen per case, highlighting the growing sophistication of fraudsters. Notably, younger generations are falling prey to these scams, especially those involving online banking, while older individuals have increasingly become victims of cryptocurrency-based scams, demonstrating a worrying trend of successful deception among less tech-savvy individuals.

The rise in scam activities is partially attributed to shifts in lifestyle due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with increasing reliance on smartphones and social media for communication and transactions. Authorities are taking steps to mitigate this crisis, including introducing app features that block calls from known scam numbers and collaborating with relevant ministries to lower transaction limits for online banking. In light of these developments, the National Police Agency has emphasized the importance of awareness and preventative measures to combat the rapid rise in fraudulent activities.