Topic: 3800+ Japanese defrauded - "Hi, it's me!" (Read 6653 times)

E_Look · « **Reply #20 on:** November 22, 2003, 10:37:19 pm »

Ain't that a kicker!

WE jaded?? I thought the folks overseas (our illustrious forbears over there especially) invented stealth and trickery!

Yeah, we've got our share of scams, but I've heard folks from the Old World (any continent) tell me that they think we Yanks are TOO TRUSTING a lot. Well, we HAVE been around for a smidgen over 200 years now, it isn't anything like 5,000 or 800 or such unimaginable numbers (Columbus came in 1492?! It really IS hard for me to imagine!), but I suppose gerontological cynicism might begin to creep in at at that point, sort of like in a streetwise kid?

Sethan · « **Reply #21 on:** November 23, 2003, 02:06:47 am »

Quote:

Out of curiosity, I wonder if it might be that we're a lot more jaded over here because there are so many scammers in the US.

Wouldn't surprise me if a larger than normal percentage of scammers go after Americans, simply because Americans are more likely to have money.

Taldren_Erin · « **Reply #22 on:** November 21, 2003, 04:57:26 pm »

Courtesy Neil Gaiman's blog...

Hey, It's Me! Send Money!

Nov 20, 8:31 am ET

TOKYO (Reuters) - Fraudsters have tricked large sums of money out of trusting Japanese this year by phoning and pretending to be relatives in trouble, police said on Thursday.

In what domestic media are calling the "Hi, it's me" swindle, victims receive calls from fraudsters who identify themselves only as "me" and say they are in desperate need of money to cover anything from an uninsured traffic accident to an unexpected pregnancy.

Victims assume the person on the telephone must be a close relative and often agree to transfer the money to a bank account specified by the swindler straight away.

There have been 3,807 reported cases so far this year, with victims paying out a total of almost 2.3 billion yen ($21.1 million), according to police statistics.

Many of the victims were women over 40, according to domestic newspapers.

Police said they were recommending that people check the identity of people asking for money on the telephone.

In a more alarming development, some telephone swindlers now extort money by pretending they have kidnapped a victim's child, with 76 such cases in October alone.

Sethan · « **Reply #23 on:** November 21, 2003, 05:09:22 pm »

I can't imagine most Americans falling for that. We fall for different dumb tricks.

It must be a cultural thing, for "Hi, its me" to be credible.

It is really sad that some people will take advantage of others' good nature. I don't feel nearly as bad about it when people get scammed trying to do something illegal or unethical.

Taldren_Erin · « **Reply #24 on:** November 21, 2003, 05:12:38 pm »

Yeah, it seems rather silly not to at least check up on who's called you. On the other hand, the last line there is what would make this something other than 'cool and refreshing' -- I can see it being very disturbing, and illiciting a lot of irrational actions (like throwing money in every direction), if somebody called and said they'd abducted your child.

Toasty0 · « **Reply #25 on:** November 21, 2003, 05:18:51 pm »

It's a matter of not admiting you do not recognise a relatives voice. To do so would be very very rude (rude is not the correct word, but I can't think of an America idiom that describes it).

Best,
Jerry

Taldren_Erin · « **Reply #26 on:** November 21, 2003, 05:24:11 pm »

Yeah... I think it may also be a generosity issue. Asians can be weird about money. (I say this because I am one. =P) Technically according to Japanese culture/"polite society" if you come into someone's house over there and admire something, to be polite they have to GIVE it to you, and not accept refusal. And you should see them argue over who pays the check at dinner.

Sethan · « **Reply #27 on:** November 21, 2003, 05:32:48 pm »

I'll bet Toasty0 is dead on, as to his explanation.

I understand what you are saying about generosity Erin, but there are lots of Americans who would give money to a relative who needs it.

The reason for not verifying who is on the other end of the line fits very well with the Japanese mindset.

I agree regarding the false kidnapping reports too.

E_Look · « **Reply #29 on:** November 21, 2003, 05:44:55 pm »

As someone who is (only genetically) Chinese, let me say that this scam wouldn't work in our various Chinatowns (scammer might hear raucous laughter), or in Taiwan nor Hong Kong, either. In the case of the latter two, they might be the ones hearing the laughter on the other end. I think it might be more a Japanese thing than pan-Asian. Any Koreans care to comment?

Taldren_Erin · « **Reply #30 on:** November 21, 2003, 05:48:05 pm »

Out of curiosity, I wonder if it might be that we're a lot more jaded over here because there are so many scammers in the US. Are there as many in Japan? I get at least two calls a week congratulating me for winning something or other, and countless emails fishing for credit card numbers illegally.

E_Look · « **Reply #31 on:** November 22, 2003, 10:37:19 pm »

Ain't that a kicker!

WE jaded?? I thought the folks overseas (our illustrious forbears over there especially) invented stealth and trickery!

Yeah, we've got our share of scams, but I've heard folks from the Old World (any continent) tell me that they think we Yanks are TOO TRUSTING a lot. Well, we HAVE been around for a smidgen over 200 years now, it isn't anything like 5,000 or 800 or such unimaginable numbers (Columbus came in 1492?! It really IS hard for me to imagine!), but I suppose gerontological cynicism might begin to creep in at at that point, sort of like in a streetwise kid?

Taldren_Erin

Re: 3800+ Japanese defrauded - "Hi, it's me!"

Sethan

Re: 3800+ Japanese defrauded - "Hi, it's me!"

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