November 26, 2021 Addition of Targets of Telecommunications Carriers’ Suspension of Telephone Numbers Used for Special Fraud

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) decided to add specific IP phone numbers (050 numbers) in addition to fixed-line phone numbers to the telecommunications carriers’ framework for suspending phone numbers used for special fraud^*and has notified the Telecommunications Carriers Association today.

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  Special fraud: A crime of making phone calls to victims to make them trust the caller without meeting the caller, thus defrauding an unspecified number of people out of cash by letting the victims transfer money to a designated savings account or using other means. This definition applies hereafter.

1. Current situation

In September 2019, MIC notified the Telecommunications Carriers Association of the following measures to be taken by telecommunications carriers in the case of a request from the police to suspend the use of fixed-line phone numbers used in special fraud cases.

1. Stopping the use of fixed-line phone numbers

• After prefectural police become aware of a fixed-line phone number used for special fraud, they will request the telecommunications carrier to suspend the use of said fixed-line phone number.
• The relevant telecommunications carrier suspends the use of the fixed-line phone number requested by prefectural police. The telecommunications carrier provides the National Police Agency with information on the subscriber (including the wholesale telecommunications carrier) of the fixed-line phone number, the use of which has been suspended.

2. Refusal to provide new landline numbers

• The National Police Agency requests telecommunications carriers to show information on subscribers who exceed certain criteria and are subject to suspension requests and refuse to provide new fixed-line phone numbers to these subscribers.
• When a telecommunications carrier receives an offer to purchase an additional fixed-line phone number from the person police have requested, the carrier will refuse to provide a new fixed-line phone number to that person for a certain period.

2. Expansion of scope

In light of the recent damage caused by special fraud, MIC has decided to add specific IP phone numbers (050 numbers) to the above list and notified the Telecommunications Carriers Association today.