Japanese Lawyers Defrauding Scam Victims: A Troubling Trend in Japan Affecting A Significant Percentage of Japanese Scam Victims

In Japan, a disturbing trend has emerged involving Japanese lawyers who exploit desperate scam victims by promising to investigate the crimes and recover their lost money.

These Japanese lawyers are scamming the victims again, they knowingly fail to deliver on their promises, instead pocketing the victims’ money and providing little to no legal assistance. This unethical and illegal behavior leaves victims further burdened financially and emotionally, increasing the trauma that these victims have already suffered from the initial scam.

Many victims have experienced some form of a recovery scam. They come through emails, messages, and even in social media comments. But what makes this different is that these are licensed Japanese lawyers doing the scamming this time – or at least allowing their practice and license to be used by scammers.

SCARS NOTE:

We want to thank our partner NPO Charms for their help in developing this information. They are our partner in Japan, and Japanese victims should contact them for professional assistance & services. https://npo-charms.org

The Japanese Lawyers’ Bait-and-Switch Tactic

These unscrupulous Japanese lawyers are nothing more than scammers themselves – they target individuals who have fallen prey to various scams, such as romance scams, investment frauds, or online phishing attacks. They approach the victims, often through advertisements or online platforms, promising to help them recover their lost funds. They may even claim to have a proven track record of success in such cases, further enticing the desperate victims.

However, once the victims engage the Japanese lawyers’ services and pay the upfront fees, the promised assistance evaporates. The lawyers may engage in minimal investigative efforts, if any, and fail to take significant legal action to recover the stolen money. Instead, they may prolong the process, demanding additional fees or withholding information, while the victims remain in a state of financial distress and uncertainty.

Notable Examples of Japanese Lawyer Misconduct & Fraud

• In 2023, an 82-year-old lawyer and three others were arrested in Osaka for defrauding romance scam victims. The group allegedly collected millions of yen in retainer fees from victims, despite knowing that there was little to no prospect of recovering the stolen money.

• In 2022, a lawyer in Fukuoka was arrested on suspicion of taking advantage of investment scam victims. The lawyer allegedly collected over 20 million yen in fees from victims, promising to help them recover their stolen funds. However, he reportedly failed to provide any substantial legal assistance and instead pocketed the victims’ money.

• In 2021, a lawyer in Tokyo was indicted on charges of defrauding a man who had been the victim of a real estate scam. The lawyer allegedly convinced the man to invest in a fake real estate scheme, resulting in the loss of over 100 million yen.

• In 2020, a lawyer in Kyoto was arrested on suspicion of defrauding a woman who had been the victim of a romance scam. The lawyer allegedly convinced the woman to invest in a fake business venture, resulting in the loss of over 50 million yen.

• In 2019, a lawyer in Nagoya was arrested on suspicion of defrauding several victims of various scams. The lawyer allegedly collected millions of yen in fees from victims, promising to help them recover their lost money. However, he reportedly failed to provide any meaningful legal assistance and instead kept the victims’ money for himself.

Obviously, one arrest a year is not enough and this trend is only growing!

These cases highlight the concerning trend of lawyers exploiting vulnerable scam victims in Japan. The financial and emotional toll on these victims is immense, as they lose not only their hard-earned money but also their trust in the legal system.

Protecting Scam Victims from Japanese Lawyer Exploitation

To address this issue, authorities and legal organizations in Japan are implementing measures to protect scam victims from lawyer exploitation. These measures include:

• Raising public awareness about the risks of engaging with unscrupulous lawyers and providing resources to identify legitimate legal services. However, this is flawed since in most cases, these are licensed attorneys.

• Establishing stricter ethical guidelines for lawyers, including clear prohibitions against misleading or exploitative practices.

• Strengthening enforcement mechanisms to hold lawyers accountable for misconduct and providing legal aid to victims seeking redress.

What is really needed is a better system of crime victims’ assistance in Japan through law enforcement and the criminal justice system, so that victims to not feel abandoned and have to turn to Japanese lawyers for help at all!

Summary

The exploitation of scam victims by Japanese lawyers is a serious ethical and legal issue that demands urgent attention.

By raising awareness, strengthening ethical standards, and enforcing legal consequences, Japan can protect its citizens from further victimization and uphold the integrity of its legal system.

SCARS Recommends

SCARS recommends that no scam victims seek assistance from an attorney to recover their money, this is the role of law enforcement. The reasons to find legal advice for scam victims is when they may be involved in money laundering, need tax advice, or some other legal issue that affects their financial recovery – not to recover money – unless the attorney will work on a contingency basis, meaning they will not charge the victim anything upfront but will work on a percentage of what they recover.

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