(Last Updated On: March 24, 2022)

A SCARSSCARS SCARS - Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. A government registered crime victims' assistance & crime prevention nonprofit organization based in Miami, Florida, U.S.A. SCARS supports the victims of scams worldwide and through its partners in more than 60 countries around the world. Incorporated in 2015, its team has 30 years of continuous experience educating and supporting scam victims. Visit www.AgainstScams.org to learn more about SCARS.™ Guest EditorialGuest Editorial A Guest Editorial is an article written by an outside contributor or author who is not a part of the SCARS Management or SCARS Editorial Team. We allow scam victims and stakeholders to contribute articles, commentary, or editorials for publication on RomanceScamsNOW.com for review and publishing. To submit an article please send it to contact@AgainstScams.org By Catherine Saori Usui

The following is a Guest Editorial by Catherine Saori Usui – an Anti-ScamScam A Scam is a confidence trick - a crime - is an attempt to defraud a person or group after first gaining their trust through deception. Scams or confidence tricks exploit victims using their credulity, naïveté, compassion, vanity, irresponsibility, or greed and exploiting that. Researchers have defined confidence tricks as "a distinctive species of fraudulent conduct ... intending to further voluntary exchanges that are not mutually beneficial", as they "benefit con operators ('con men' - criminals) at the expense of their victims (the 'marks')". A scam is a crime even if no money was lost. Victims Advocate living in Japan, A Professional Support Services Provider, An Aspiring Author, and A Romance Scam SurvivorSurvivor A Scam Survivor is a victim who has been able to fully accept the reality of their situation. That they were the victim of a crime and are not to blame. They are working on their emotional recovery and reduction of any trauma either on their own, through a qualified support organization, or through counseling or therapy. And has done their duty and reported the crime to their local police, national police, and on Anyscam.com. Catherine plays a role in directly helping scam victims to recover, and is active in helping to build awareness of romance scamsScams A Scam is a confidence trick - a crime - is an attempt to defraud a person or group after first gaining their trust through deception. Scams or confidence tricks exploit victims using their credulity, naïveté, compassion, vanity, irresponsibility, or greed and exploiting that. Researchers have defined confidence tricks as "a distinctive species of fraudulent conduct ... intending to further voluntary exchanges that are not mutually beneficial", as they "benefit con operators ('con men' - criminals) at the expense of their victims (the 'marks')". A scam is a crime even if no money was lost. in Japan. She is also a member of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship ScamsSCARS SCARS - Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. A government registered crime victims' assistance & crime prevention nonprofit organization based in Miami, Florida, U.S.A. SCARS supports the victims of scams worldwide and through its partners in more than 60 countries around the world. Incorporated in 2015, its team has 30 years of continuous experience educating and supporting scam victims. Visit www.AgainstScams.org to learn more about SCARS. Inc.

Japan – The Romance ScammerScammer A Scammer or Fraudster is someone that engages in deception to obtain money or achieve another objective. They are criminals that attempt to deceive a victim into sending more or performing some other activity that benefits the scammer.’s Heaven

In Catherine’s Own Words [In English]:

Japan is recently claimed as the international romance scammer’s heaven, while the mystery of this phenomena is unveiled except “there are poor romance scammed middle age women mainly over 40th are increased” as a news stories.

As myself a romance scam victim in Japan, let me introduce some puzzle pieces of the condition why those fake US personnels, military doctor, highly sophisticated businessmen scammer succeed in getting money from poor Japanese romance scam victims so easily. Increase of romance scams contains not only needs of international legal and investigative system needed in urgent against those canny borderless scammer’s network. However, there’s each individual nation’s structural fundamental social problems might disturb the legal network “work” efficiently. I can say as a Japanese, our society has more trouble compare to other Asian nations to be co-related with rest of the globe by many reasons.

That’s My Theme On This Series: Romance Scam Victims Are Out Casted As A Drop Out From Peer Pressure

International romance victims in Japan often suffer self-blameSelf-Blame Victim blaming occurs when the victim of a crime or any wrongful act is held entirely or partially at fault for the harm that befell them. SCARS seeks to mitigate the prejudice against victims and the perception that victims are in any way responsible for the actions of offenders or scammers. There is historical and current prejudice against the victims of domestic violence and sex crimes, such as the greater tendency to blame victims of rape than victims of robbery. Scam victims are often blamed by family & friends for the crime. Scam victims also engage in self-blame even though they are not to blame., ashamed feeling, despaired and close their heart and soul. This society notify that romance scammed victims are often considered looser or failed to adopt into peer pressure social system – Japan.

In my individual case, an inspector came to me to find any new evident slip or case report to fill his day work. We were sitting at the foodcourt corner table at the shopping centre. He said “ You’re definitely romance scammed for sure. You aren’t any worthy to gain love from such a handsome man! “. Like any other Japanese man, his evaluation for a woman who are over aged to give a birth to a baby, raise a child, do all the housework, having regular work with good health and fantastic background are non-favourable and “an out of order” woman.

Japanese woman are generally enforced to be always self-humiliated or more I should say “self-depressed” once a woman turn to over age 30 to 35. Japanese man consider that praising woman’s effort will make her arrogant, saying thank you make her spoiled. Majority of woman wants man’s mind changed while extremists politicians have been encouraging to put more peer pressure to entire society to make Japan more “male dominant society”. In this condition, romance scam victims are chased into the two side pressures. She turned to believe on-line lover never exist because of being too tired for enforced self-humiliation as “over aged woman(“Obasan” in Japanese). But she cannot admire the advice of being scammed often Japanese man in any position gives her with unkind advice with some bully or abusive words included which might kill her soul when she has to face serious heartbreaking moment. – Police Bureau hearing often causes “second rape affection” for the romance scammed victims.

There is no on-line romance scam or other net work scam reporting system in Japan police except “call to the local policeLocal Police The Local Police is your first responder in most countries. In most English-speaking countries and in Europe report to them first. In other countries look for your national cybercrime police units to report scams to. In the U.S., Canada, & Australia, you must report to the local police first., patient for long hours of hearing, let them make their format of hearing report filled police jargons”.

It means an ordinary citizen without having chance to be a policeman in Japan might not understand what an officer/inspector put on their hearing report of a romance scammed victim. Serious human right offences are done by police bureaus and the legal system. So many rape cases and incests committed by born father sentenced “guiltless” for victims are concerned to agree to have such a relationships under enforced drinking alcohol or drug mixed drink or heavily threaten condition.

Similar Condition Will Sure Happen To The Romance Scammed Victims

Because it is the legal tradition to ask for “two-side responsibility to blameBlame Blame or Blaming is the act of censuring, holding responsible, making negative statements about an individual or group that their action or actions are socially or morally irresponsible, the opposite of praise. When someone is morally responsible for doing something wrong, their action is blameworthy. By contrast, when someone is morally responsible for doing something right, we may say that his or her action is praiseworthy. Blame imparts responsibility for an action or act, as in that they made a choice to perform that act or action.” is the common sense “to maintain peace and order to this country”. An inspector I’ve met shown me four reports he “earned” from international romance victims, sighed “these reports are not well enough to apply the arrest mandate”. He wanted me to add another report, but I chose to report IC3.gov, Action FraudActionFraud Action Fraud is the UK’s national reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime where you should report fraud if you have been scammed, defrauded or experienced cyber crime in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. WEBSITE LINK UK and “ANYSCAM” site.

The police hearing report, evidences are term to keep for ten years as the police un-disclosed property in Japan. After Special Secret Protection Act was stated in 2013 allows “any prior national security information which might threat the national security should be kept under secrecy as long as any government ministries/bureaus wants to extend undesclosed”.

There’s no civil right for a romance scam victims to know the contents which was submitted on their report. Not only in romance scam or rape, but in other general crime reports also, victims are not allowed to know if the police bureau report contents are same as one said. There are more than thousands of false charge come out at the court trials thereby.

No victims of any crime can check the report for ten years once a victim stamped or signed and agreed to submit the report. There’s no right to keep a copy of the report once a victim submitted, nor right to proofread and confirm in advance for suspects.

On this procedure, inspectors/police officers do whatsoever they can to “set the case suitable for the individual inspector/police officer’s favour”. I personally decided not to humiliate myself going through more heartbreaking hearing by Tokyo Metropolitan Police Bureau (TMPB). TMPB also rejected the hearing from me, because I’ve already reported to other nation’s criminalCriminal A criminal is any person who through a decision or act engages in a crime. This can be complicated, as many people break laws unknowingly, however, in our context, it is a person who makes a decision to engage in unlawful acts or to place themselves with others who do this. A criminal always has the ability to decide not to break the law, or if they initially engage in crime to stop doing it, but instead continues. reports on-line, keeping the copy of on-line reports. The inspector I’ve met said “your money won’t be back for sure. But you might want to do your national obligation to corp with the international romance scam investigation to fulfil the legal requirement to arrest. Don’t you want to punish those suspects? The case I hold is a Cameroonian living in my area.” He wasn’t even interested in other suspects out of Tokyo area.

Imagine you’re one of international romance scammed victim in Japan, who still want to believe in “loving one” hear this from a “kind inspector to make an hour trip to get a victims to give a good advice” with such a rude manner. He might have expected that some romance scam victim woman open their heart by his advice and say “oh thank you Mr. Inspector for your good advice to breaking my heart completely with such ill-bred words with rude manner”.

According to inspectors I’ve met, all romance scammed victims suffering financial difficulties. Others have huge dept to pay back. Some believes to be informed that her fake loving U.S. personnel fiancé was shot dead in the war country, suffering serious depression thereby. Even in this miserable situation, many victims may refuse to submit the report to local police in our given condition. Those romance scam victims cannot trust the Japan police by given social condition here, and this situation makes many romance victims to choose to put trust in scammers – like I once did.

This social condition along with human right ignorance is the one of reasons Japan is the arising nation of the romance scammer’s heaven. Scammers and police bureau are similar against humanity unless the case become very famous or suffer from the international pressure.

At this moment 2019, Japan government has been against/ignorant for over dozens of U.N. recommendation for the serious violation for human rights.

Visions Of Romance Scammers In Japan

Black man and woman are generally unwelcome in Japan among other foreigners such as caucuses and other Asian looks similar to Japanese. There are many legal residents whose married partner is Japanese or a foreign abroad students with valid student visa from various countries.

Those who’re applied for refugee by unavoidable reason are not allowed to work. Those possible refugees are either detained in the Tokyo Immigration Office or survive by the Japanese supporters’ donations who’re also not rich enough.

There’s scarce chance to find any kind of “near-legal” job such as night shift in dangerous metal work, various factories or convenience store, because “they are visually black and not fluent in Japanese”.

Skilled IT engineer graduated from Oxford University or famous TV “Gaijin” black entertainers might be sincere treated with suitable respects, but not for “ordinary black man and woman without extraordinary skills or background”.

Those Are The Possible International Romance Scammer’S Vision I Can Draw Now

Those “rejected gaijin (foreigner)” may often related or become a part/member of “colour gangGang A gang is normally a group or society of associated criminals with a defined leadership and internal organization that identifies with or claims control over a territory or business practice in a community and engages, either individually or collectively, in illegal, and possibly violent, behavior. Online gangs are not limited by territory and may operate side by side with other gangs while engaging in crime online. Some members of criminal gangs are initiated (by going through a process of initiation), or have to prove their loyalty and right to belong by committing certain acts, usually theft or violence, or rituals. Gangs are usually rougher and more visible than scammer cartels, and more often arrested.(never means the skin colour, they have colourful flags of each gang team)” or “international network scammer”.

In February 2019, Fukuoka Prefectural Police Bureau arrested four international romance scammer for the first time in Japan. But those four are just a bite cut off of a tiny sucker cell to a huge octopus.

I asked the inspector of TMPB “why won’t you try to exterminate the international networks of the romance scammer?”. Then the inspector said “wow, we only work for “ to maintain peace and order to this country. International networks are non of our business”. In such kind of international net work scammer groups, there could be some evil Japanese living in overseas might be involved also.

Romance Scammer & Victims Supported By IT Technology

By the rapid progress of translation app between English and Japanese, daily conversation level translation/texting/speaking or even hearing became possible using a pad or smartphone/iPhone.

Majority of Japanese romance scammer benefited and victims are fraudFraud In law, fraud is intentional deception to secure unfair or unlawful gain (money or other assets), or to deprive a victim of a legal right. Fraud can violate civil law (e.g., a fraud victim may sue the fraud perpetrator to avoid the fraud or recover monetary compensation) or criminal law (e.g., a fraud perpetrator may be prosecuted and imprisoned by governmental authorities), or it may cause no loss of money, property, or legal right but still be an element of another civil or criminal wrong. The purpose of fraud may be monetary gain or other benefits, for example by obtaining a passport, travel document, or driver's license, or mortgage fraud, where the perpetrator may attempt to qualify for a mortgage by way of false statements. A fraud can also be a hoax, which is a distinct concept that involves deliberate deception without the intention of gain or of materially damaging or depriving a victim. via those translation app.

A scammer type English, translated into Japanese, then copy and paste to the e-mail or chat app window or easier. There are several ways both romance scammer & victims co-substituted on their “virtual love” for Japanese woman without having enough English communicative level ability.

(1) DATING SITE AND E-MAIL

Download the free translation app first. A romance scammer write a sweet melty love message suitable for a target often just copy & pasted from their manual page on-line. Then the scam target respond in Japanese. For dating site and e-mail, translation app language is almost perfect by various sample sentences.

(2) “LINE” APP

Majority of Japanese use “LINE” chat app to free talk, chat, to hand in the part-time job available day/time zone shift, even in some formal business scene while Face book, WhatsApp are commonly used in US, UK and EU area. Most Japanese doesn’t really know “LINE” is the strongest translation tool. Japanese prefer to use “LINE” because it never allows any other app from/to copy & paste.   “LINE” app allow copy & paste only in “LINE” app itself. It means one cannot copy & paste from “google” or other translation app to “LINE.

Now, I’d strongly urge that any translation app is not strong enough to cover all the scholastic area, legal, business and political situation enough nor suitable to cover the efficient impressive writing skills. I’m writing this article by my own English ability with dictionaries, not substituted by any translation app.

Still, “LINE” is the one of the strongest app I’ve ever seen if I use it properly from English to/from Japanese for most of ordinary conversational phrases we use in everyday life.

This is how it works;

Open the “LINE” app, and go to “friend(Tomodachi)” page.

Search for “LINE English Translator” the public “non-personal AIAI Artificial intelligence (AI) is wide-ranging branch of computer science concerned with building smart machines capable of performing tasks that typically require human intelligence. Machine learning is a subset of Artificial Intelligence. friend” distributed by “LINE” company.

Add “LINE English Translator” to your friend and type any English or Japanese, then this “ AI friend” immediately respond for English to Japanese or Japanese to English translation.

Push a bit long on the translated chat column, and it will show “copy, keep, delete, transfer, report” above the chat column.

To take a trout to copy & paste to the victims’ chat column, select “copy” and paste in the victims’ window. Wow, you’ll be a perfect chat friend with fluent Japanese substituted by this translator “friend”.

If you make it a bit easier, or want to send same message to more than a several “loving ones”, choose transfer button! You’ll find a list of all friends on “LINE”. select the target “friends” a scammer want to transfer the same message. In this way, a romance scammer can corp with several “loving ones” at once.

Summary

IT and AI technology has been the ironical best friend of romance scammers in Japan. There are many Japanese young, middle aged and elders who want to study English communication skill which caused by less efficient standard of English studies in the school education system. Those who wants the language exchange friend, might be the “target market” for dark romance scammers.

As the conclusion, rapid increase of the romance scam victims in Japan in recent years may happened by the progress of IT and AI translator technology. Please bring me your feed back and critiques. I’d like to hear from various kinds of people in the world about what’s going on with in this closed nation.

About Catherine Saori Usui

Catherine Saori Usui is a woman who was romance scammed from Japan. As a Japanese victim fluent in Japanese, English, and Korean, I’d like to distribute the conditions and reality along with introduction of some Japanese social system, reality of romance victims, political authority system etc. from Japan, planning to write a novel on the huge scale of international romance scam I’ve experienced to let the world understands the what is the systematic network scammers deeply related to the global affairs.

By Catherine Saori Usui
Yamato, Kanagawa, Japan

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TAGS: Catherine Saori Usui, Yamato, Kanagawa, Japan, Scammer’s Heaven, Romance Scams, Scams In Japan, Japanese Police, Japanese Victims,

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FAQ: How Do You Properly Report Scammers?

It is essential that law enforcement knows about scams & scammers, even though there is nothing (in most cases) that they can do.

Always report scams involving money lost or where you received money to:

Local Police – ask them to take an “informational” police report – say you need it for your insurance
Your National Police or FBIFBI FBI - Federal Bureau of Investigation The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, the FBI is also a member of the U.S. Intelligence Community and reports to both the Attorney General and the Director of National Intelligence. A leading U.S. counter-terrorism, counterintelligence, and criminal investigative organization, the FBI has jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crimes, including financial fraud. (www.IC3.gov »)
The SCARS|CDN™ Cybercriminal Data Network – Worldwide Reporting Network HERE » or on www.Anyscam.com »

This helps your government understand the problem, and allows law enforcement to add scammers on watch lists worldwide.

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