Consumers in Japan sought advice on social media-related issues 80,404 times in 2023, a record high, an annual government report showed Friday.
According to the 2024 Consumer White Paper, adopted at a Cabinet meeting, consumers aged 50 or over were particularly sensitive to issues on social media, such as the sale of counterfeit branded goods and fictitious currency investment deals. In approximately 18,500 cases they asked the authorities for advice. the same day.
In 2023, the total number of consumer consultation cases reached approximately 910,000 and consumer losses from problematic transactions reached a record ¥8.8 trillion ($55.8 billion), an increase of ¥2.3 trillion from the previous year.
The annual document also showed that 16,298 consumer accidents were reported to the Consumer Affairs Agency in fiscal year 2023 through March of this year. Among them, serious accidents rose 23% from the previous year to 1,658, of which fires, mainly those involving cars, household appliances and lithium-ion batteries, accounted for around 80%.
“If you run into trouble, don’t hesitate to seek advice and use the agency and the National Consumer Affairs Center, as well as local consumer affairs centers across the country,” an agency official said.
