July 29, 2026 Request for Strengthening Countermeasures to Prevent Victimization by Special Fraud and Other Crimes

　Today, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) issued a written request to telecommunications carriers through their industry associations to strengthen their countermeasures to prevent victimization by special fraud and other crimes.

Note: The published materials are available in Japanese only.

The number of victims of special fraud is on the rise, and the total losses in 2025 (including losses from social media investment fraud, and romance scams) reached a record high of 325.7 billion yen (National Police Agency, “Status of Reported Cases and Arrests of Special Fraud and Social Media Investment Fraud and Romance Scams in 2025 (Final Figures)”). Against this backdrop, the Japanese government has been promoting collaborative public-private sector initiatives based on documents such as the “Comprehensive Measures to Protect People from Frauds 2.0,” which was adopted at the Ministerial Meeting Concerning Measures against Crime on April 22, 2025.

　MIC is also promoting various measures based on this adoption and in cooperation with telecommunications carriers and other entities. In May 2026, the Act Partially Amending the Act on Identification of Subscribers and Prevention of Improper Use of Mobile Voice Communications Services by Carriers (Act No. 25 of 2026) was enacted to address the increasing diversity and sophistication of fraudulent use of mobile communication services, including special fraud.

　Furthermore, on July 28, 2026, the Ministerial Meeting Concerning Measures against Crime adopted “Emergency Measures to Prevent the Spread of Fraud and Stalking” in light of the current critical situation and to urgently implement countermeasures against special fraud and other crimes. Based on this, further measures against special fraud and other crimes are required in the telecommunications sector as well; accordingly, MIC today requested, through industry associations, that telecommunications carriers implement more effective countermeasures.