The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department has arrested four men, including 63-year-old Kei Shuh Suzuki from Sagamihara City, on suspicion of fraudulently reissuing a credit card by impersonating its owner. The police have not disclosed whether the suspects admit to the charges. According to the International Crime Investigation Division, the men conspired on November 6 of last year to misrepresent themselves as the cardholder to obtain a reissued credit card, which they then used to illegally purchase 360 items, including luxury watches, totaling around 3.94 million yen.

Investigations revealed that the suspects obtained personal information about the credit card owner through an unknown means, which they used to request the disclosure of financial information from credit reporting agencies. As a result, they were able to gather key personal details about the cardholder, including the contract date and workplace information. Based on this information, they falsely claimed to the credit card company that the card had been lost during a move and successfully applied for its reissue.

The actual credit card owner was unaware that the reissuing process had taken place, which has raised concerning questions about the security of personal information and the measures in place to protect customers from identity theft. Such incidents highlight the increasing sophistication of fraud operations and emphasize the need for stronger mechanisms to safeguard consumer data and prevent potential financial crimes.