Reports of Taiwanese being lured to Japan with false promises of employment are rising, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday, warning people to be wary of illicit schemes.
Taiwan’s representative offices in Japan this year have received a significantly greater number of reports about Taiwanese being arrested for alleged involvement in scam activities in Japan compared with previous years, Taiwan-Japan Relations Association Deputy Secretary-General Lin Yu-hui (林郁慧) said.
There were four reports in 2023 and five last year, but there have been 50 so far this year, Lin said.
Photo: CNA
Most Taiwanese are aware of the risk of fraud rings in Southeast Asian countries, but do not realize that similar operations exist in Japan, she said.
“Some Taiwanese have been tricked into yami baito,” she said, referring to a Japanese-language term meaning “dark part-time jobs.”
Posts on social media promised free travel in Japan in exchange for easy part-time jobs, she said.
The Web site of Japan’s Metropolitan Police Department defines yami baito as “shady part-time jobs” that are “easy and well-paying.”
Criminal groups post advertisements for such positions using tempting wording to fool jobseekers into applying, it says, adding that some are forced into criminal activities, such as collecting and withdrawing money obtained via fraud.
Taiwanese should carefully examine job advertisements and only seek work in Japan through official channels, such as applying for a working holiday visa, Lin said.
Japanese police have warned that people recruited are forced to provide personal information and are rarely paid.
It is hard to gauge how widespread the problem is due to a lack of official figures.
However, Japan’s National Police Agency has said it arrested 2,373 people in 2023 for engaging in the practice.
It did not break down how many of them were foreign nationals.
Additional reporting by CNA
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