A 34-year-old Chinese national was arrested Tuesday for allegedly swindling an elderly woman through a social media investment scam, the Ibaraki Prefectural Police said.
The victim, a 71-year-old company executive in Ibaraki Prefecture, was scammed of a total of ¥809 million ($5.3 million) via social media, the largest such sum recorded by the National Police Agency.
The suspect, Wan Cheuklun, allegedly conspired with others to impersonate economist Takuro Morinaga on messaging platform LINE, offering false investment opportunities. Wan resides in Tokyo’s Sumida ward and told the police that he is a “company executive.”
The case came to light when it was revealed that the suspect, who had been arrested by Fukushima Prefectural Police in May for a separate social media scam, was also involved in the Ibaraki case based on data retrieved from his seized computer.
The 71-year-old woman in Ibaraki was lured through an advertisement on Instagram, the police said.
Wan allegedly told her that a “monthly profit of 85% can be expected” and “profits can be made by entrusting cash to a dispatched representative.”
The police confirmed that Wan had directed cash couriers to collect a total of ¥83 million from the victim at a train station in Ibaraki Prefecture on Dec. 11 and 18 last year.
Between Oct. 24 last year and April 12 this year, the woman transferred a total of ¥809 million across 47 transactions through cash or bank transfer, the police said.
Investigators have not disclosed the suspect’s response to the allegations, citing concerns about compromising the investigation.