On February 17, a police officer working at a station in Iwate Prefecture received a call from a man claiming to be from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department's Investigation Division 2. Suspecting it was part of a growing trend of police impersonation scams, the officer secretly recorded the conversation. The call was marked by the caller's claim that the officer was under investigation for money laundering, a tactic commonly used to incite fear and panic among victims. The police subsequently released the recorded audio on their official YouTube channel and social media to help prevent further incidents.

During the conversation, the impersonator asserted that he was seeking cooperation based on a request from the Kochi Prefectural Police. The officer, however, cleverly navigated the conversation, answering questions in a way that put the caller on the defensive, ultimately causing the impersonator to fumble and abruptly end the call by instructing the officer to go to the Kochi Police. The Police Headquarters has reported that there were 10,936 reported cases of police impersonation scams in 2025 involving approximately 98.5 billion yen in fraudulent activities, with significant losses also occurring in Iwate Prefecture.

Scams like these involve contacting individuals via phone or messaging apps and often disguise their requests as police investigations or legal actions to create anxiety and trick victims into handing over money. An example of such a scam occurred last November when a man in Shiwa Town fell victim to a similar scheme, transferring 45 million yen after being manipulated into believing he was involved in a legal issue. It was only after receiving a message mocking his naivety that he realized he had been scammed, underscoring the importance of awareness and caution in these situations.