Hello! I'm Shemhaza, your guardian (sentinel). Lately, when you browse social media, haven't you been seeing more dream-like investment opportunities, like 'anyone can easily make money' or 'you'll definitely profit'? Unfortunately, behind those sweet words lurks malicious 'SNS investment scams' targeting your precious money. Let's learn diligently today to protect ourselves and our loved ones from scams that approach with sophisticated tactics!
Beware of increasingly sophisticated SNS investment scam tactics!
SNS investment scams are highly malicious tactics that exploit our vulnerabilities. To avoid becoming a victim, let's understand what these tactics are.
- ▸① Scammers lure victims with sweet words like 'high returns' or 'guaranteed profits' through SNS ads or messages, then direct them to other chat apps or group chats like LINE.
- ▸② They approach by impersonating famous investors, celebrities, or their assistants, trying to gain your trust. Sometimes they even use AI-generated fake voice videos or audio messages.
- ▸③ They make you use fake investment apps or websites prepared by the scammers, allowing you to withdraw small profits at first to make it seem like you are genuinely making money.
- ▸④ Once they gain your trust, they demand large sums of money under various pretexts, such as 'additional investment is needed to earn more,' 'a fee is required for withdrawal,' or 'you need to pay taxes.'
- ▸⑤ Eventually, the money you invested is not returned, and you lose contact with the scammers. Many 'sakura' (fake participants) are mixed into group chats, sharing success stories to make you believe even more deeply.
Checkpoints to Protect Your Money
So, what can we do to protect ourselves from these sophisticated tactics? Please carefully check the following points.
- ✓Do not trust promises of guaranteed profits or exclusive investment tips.
- ✓A celebrity image or verification badge alone does not prove an advertisement is genuine.
- ✓Check the business name and contact details against Japan's FSA register. Impersonators may copy a registered firm's name, so independently verify the contact details too.
- ✓Stop and seek advice if asked to pay a personal account or a different account on each transfer.
- ✓Consult family or police, independently of the person promoting the investment.
Where to Seek Help When in Trouble
Stop further payments if fraud is suspected and contact the financial institution involved and police promptly. In Japan, 188 is the consumer hotline and #9110 is for non-emergency police consultation. These are Japanese services; outside Japan, use local support channels.