Japan is considering drastic measures to combat credit card fraud. According to the South China Morning Post, Japan’s National Police Agency has proposed suspending blue cards for people over the age of 65. A measure, however, less drastic than in appearance, since it should only apply if the card has not been used for more than a year.
The measure aims to stem the credit card scams that have plagued the country for several decades. Because despite government campaigns, fraud involving smart cards persists: in the first half of 2023, the amount of fraud amounted to nearly 15 billion yen (about 100 million euros). In most cases, scammers pose as bank employees to trick their victims, often by convincing them that their account is overdrawn. Another method is to pose as a loved one in distress who needs money to deal with an emergency, such as paying a fine or a debt.
Even with a low rate of people taking the bait, the prospects arouse the lusts of scammers: in 2018, an 84-year-old woman paid 82 million yen (525,000 euros) because of a scam on the phone. The case had drawn the country’s attention to the importance of the phenomenon and the vulnerability of the elderly, particularly in cases where offenders reoffend. With nearly a third of the Japanese population over 65, seniors are easy prey for criminals.
A situation that most Japanese are aware of. Interviewed by the South China Morning Post, Tomoko Oono, a retiree from Tokyo, said, “Anything that can be done should be done in my opinion, because I hear about a lot of these cases. The banks and the police have tried to put a stop to it, but it’s really difficult because all the scammers need is a mobile phone,” she continues.
But if the initiative of the authorities seems sensible to counter fraud, the concerns do not completely disappear among those who, like Tomoko Oono, fear that the situation will become discriminatory for seniors. Many are unfamiliar with online transactions, or live in rural areas without access to a bank. “My mother lives alone and mainly uses cash, as she cannot browse online to make purchases,” she points out. “I don’t know how she would manage without being able to get money.” A criticism that has also been heard on social networks. Still, faced with the increased risk of scams, the ad is quickly understood by the majority of the population… including the elderly.