"We'll refund you via QR-code payment" is a scam — even when 1,000 yen really comes back as 1,200

Hello. This is Shemihaza, your Sentinel.

On 17 August 2026, Japan's National Consumer Affairs Center (NCAC) published an urgent alert. Following the Kumamoto earthquake, people are being approached through direct messages on social media that claim to support the disaster area, then steered into a QR-code payment app ("◯◯ Pay") scam.

Here is the conclusion first. There is one tell.

"Buy something and you get back more than you paid" cannot work. If buying more leaves you with more money, where is the other party earning it? If that cannot be explained, there is no reason to hand over money.

The NCAC states it plainly: "If you are told 'we will refund you via ◯◯ Pay', suspect a scam."

How the scam unfolds

• ▸1. It starts with a DM from a shop you follow. In the reported case, a restaurant account the victim followed on social media sent a message saying that buying from a specified website would donate to the disaster area and return more than the purchase price via QR-code payment. The account looking familiar is what makes this work. Some businesses publish warnings about fake accounts impersonating them.
• ▸2. You are moved to a messaging app. A link in the DM leads to a messaging app, and adding the contact puts you in a group chat. The NCAC lists this switch — starting on social media, then moving the conversation elsewhere — as part of the method.
• ▸3. The money really does come back at first. The victim paid 1,000 yen by QR-code payment and 1,200 yen was refunded. From the second round they were told to handle everything inside the payment app screen, and again received more than they paid.
• ▸4. Other people say it worked for them too. Another member of the group posted that they had been refunded, and the victim concluded the scheme was trustworthy.
• ▸5. It stops at the large payment. After several rounds, the victim paid 100,000 yen by QR-code payment and no refund came. The scammer then said that paying a further 150,000 yen would also release the 100,000 — at which point the victim became suspicious and stopped.

Why the money genuinely arrives at first

What makes this dangerous is that stages 3 and 4 are real.

It turns our own common sense against us: a scammer would never actually pay you back, would they? One thousand yen returns as 1,200. Read that 200 yen as the cost of getting 100,000 yen out of you, and the order of events makes sense: a few hundred goes out first, and a sum two orders of magnitude larger comes back the other way.

Stage 4 does the same job. Nothing guarantees that the strangers in that group are real customers. Assume the messages are there to convince you, and you will be about right.

So do not treat "the money came back" as evidence. A refund arriving proves nothing about whether the scheme is genuine. Make the decision at the one point before money moves: a deal where buying leaves you with more cannot work. That is all you need.

After a disaster, the pressure is higher

The NCAC warns that after an earthquake, fraud and predatory sales exploiting the disaster appear in large numbers. Wanting to help pushes people to decide quickly.

One fact is worth memorising: municipalities and public bodies in Japan do not telephone individual households to ask for donations or relief money, and do not phone to ask for personal information. If such a call comes, hang up and contact that organisation yourself.

None of this means you should avoid donating. Check the activities and the use of funds of the organisation collecting, decide when you are satisfied, and if you transfer to a bank account, always check the name on the account. That is enough to stay safe.

What you can check today

• ✓If you are told you will get back more than you paid, stop there. The proposition cannot work, so you do not owe anyone an explanation.
• ✓"We will refund you via ◯◯ Pay" is the red flag the NCAC names directly. Treat it as a scam from the moment you hear it.
• ✓Even a DM from a shop you know deserves a check on the account. It may be an impersonation. Before paying anything, confirm on that company's official website.
• ✓Being moved from a DM to another messaging app is the switch point. Changing the venue of the conversation is a documented part of the method.
• ✓Cut contact the moment something feels wrong. It does not matter that you already went along with part of it. The NCAC advises breaking off immediately once you notice, even if you did not spot it at first.
• ✓Give no personal information, and pay nothing when money is demanded. These two hold at every stage.

Three lines to forward to your family

• ▸"Buy this and you get back more than you paid" is a scam. Even if the first 1,000 yen comes back as 1,200, that is the cost of gaining your trust.
• ▸If someone says they will refund you through a payment app, stop replying. A DM from a shop you know can still come from a fake account.
• ▸If you are in trouble, call 188 (Consumer Hotline) or #9110 (police advice line) in Japan. If you have already paid, contact the payment app operator and the police first.

Where to get help

If you have already paid, the order matters. The NCAC says to notify the QR-code payment provider immediately and to consult the police. The operator of the payment app you used is the first call to make.

Consumer Hotline: 188 — a nationwide three-digit number in Japan that connects you to your local consumer affairs centre. No area code needed.

Police advice line: #9110 — a nationwide number in Japan that connects you to the consultation desk of your nearest police force.

You can call while the amount is still small, or when you are merely uneasy. Not deciding alone is the strongest defence there is.

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