Summary: In 2023, multiple cases of phone scams targeting Japanese companies in the USA have been reported. Scammers are using fake caller IDs to impersonate company executives and attempt to deceive companies into transferring large sums of money.
1. Incident Overview
- Date and Time: Recent cases throughout 2023.
- Location: Various Japanese companies in the USA.
- Method: Scammers call companies pretending to be high-level executives or other officials, claiming that urgent and confidential transactions need to be processed. They instruct the companies to transfer money to specified accounts. Often, the caller ID displays the company’s legitimate headquarters phone number.
- Example: One case involved a caller pretending to be the company’s headquarters president, demanding an urgent transfer to a specified account. Another caller, posing as a lawyer, confirmed the payment details. The company confirmed with its headquarters that this was a scam.
2. Precautions and Recommendations
- Be Cautious with Calls: If you receive a call that seems suspicious or involves financial transactions, ask for the caller’s name and position, then hang up and call back using a verified number.
- Verify Requests: If a request for financial transactions is made, especially if it involves secrecy or urgency, verify the request with known contacts within your organization before taking any action.
- Stay Calm: Scammers often use tactics to create a sense of urgency or fear to impair your judgment. Stay calm and verify any requests thoroughly.
- Do Not Share Sensitive Information: Avoid sharing personal or financial information over the phone unless you are sure of the caller’s identity and the legitimacy of the request.
- Ignore Suspicious Instructions: If a caller asks you to perform tasks such as transferring money, especially under pressure or secrecy, do not comply until you have verified the request with proper channels.
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