Thirteen Japanese nationals were arrested in Malaysia for running a digital scam impersonating Osaka police to defraud victims in Japan online.
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| A cybercrime ring involving 13 Japanese suspects was using these buildins as bases. Image Courtesy: JN |
BANGKOK — June 9, 2025:
Thirteen Japanese nationals have been arrested by Malaysian authorities for allegedly running a digital scam that involved impersonating officers of the Osaka Prefectural Police to defraud victims in Japan.
The arrests, made in May, followed coordinated raids on two suspected cyber fraud centers in Kuala Lumpur and nearby areas. In total, 19 individuals—including Japanese and Chinese nationals—were detained, according to The Yomiuri Shimbun via Japan News.
Investigators allege that the group used social engineering tactics to send fake online messages to Japanese residents, pretending to be law enforcement. Victims were deceived into transferring money under false claims of investigations or legal trouble. The operation reportedly lasted for around two months.
Police confiscated laptops, smartphones, counterfeit police uniforms, and pre-written scripts used for the scam—tools commonly associated with sophisticated cybercrime setups.
This incident underscores the growing threat of cross-border digital scams in Southeast Asia, where cyber fraud rings frequently involve foreign operatives. In a related crackdown, 29 Japanese nationals were apprehended in Poipet, Cambodia, in late May, and others have been linked to similar operations in eastern Myanmar.
Japanese and Southeast Asian law enforcement agencies continue to intensify joint efforts to dismantle these transnational cybercrime networks that exploit regional vulnerabilities and technology to defraud citizens abroad.