A joint task force led by the National Cyber Unit of the National Police Agency and 16 prefectural police departments arrested a 44-year-old man on Tuesday on suspicion of illegally accessing internet bank accounts.
The suspect, Yohei Yano, who is already in custody in a separate case, is believed to be the mastermind behind a group involved in fraudulent wire transfers worth more than ¥120 million between 2022 and 2023.
The case marks the first arrest in Japan by the National Cyber Unit since its establishment in April 2022. Before the unit became involved, the joint task force had arrested nine members of the group.
The group allegedly abused stolen IDs and passwords to gain access to victims’ bank accounts, using a technique called “SIM swapping” to hijack smartphones. Funds were then transferred to cryptocurrency accounts controlled by the group.
Recruitment for the program was conducted via social media, with members lured with the promise of a lucrative side job. Instructions were distributed via secure messaging apps such as Telegram.
Yano’s identity was revealed after an investigation that tracked cryptocurrency flows and analyzed smartphones seized from other members. He is suspected of using stolen IDs and passwords to access other people’s online banking accounts in January last year.
Translated by The Japan Times
