Nigerian arrested in Tokyo over 'inheritance scam

Just for illustration: a suspect nabbed by Tokyo Metropolitan Police

Just for illustration: a suspect nabbed by Tokyo Metropolitan Police

Just for illustration: a suspect nabbed by Tokyo Metropolitan Police

Tokyo Metropolitan Police has arrested a male Nigerian over the alleged swindle of a Japanese in Setagaya Ward earlier this year.

TBS News said in April and May, the 36 year-old unidentified Nigerian suspect, allegedly defrauded the Japanese, in his 50s, out of a total of 3 million yen, about $28,000.

The suspect denies the allegations, telling police he collected the “money to buy a car on behalf of an acquaintance.”

In carrying out the ruse, the suspect posed as an employee of a foreign bank in calling the victim on the telephone. “You can legally collect 400 million yen($3.8million) in an inheritance from a Japanese person with your same surname who died in Libya,” he falsely told the victim.

The victim then sent the money to the bank account of the suspect to cover the preparation of documents necessary to receive the claimed inheritance.

Late last month, Tokyo Metropolitan Police also arrested a 21-year-old man on suspicion of fraud, his fifth apprehension for the crime.

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According to police, Ryoya Higuchi, of no known occupation, is believed to be a member of a fraud ring that targets the elderly.

For his latest arrest, the suspect allegedly posed as a member of the Japan Banker’s Association in defrauding a woman in her 80s living in Itabashi Ward out of four bank cards.

The cards were then used to withdraw 2.8 million yen in cash from the woman’s accounts at an ATM machine.

Higuchi has declined to comment on the latest allegations, police said.

A search of the residence of Higuchi revealed 13 bank cards. Including his previous four arrests, he is believed to have participated in nine incidents in which the victims were defrauded out of 12 million yen, police said.

*I Japanese Yen =0.0095 United States Dollar

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