A woman in her 70s living in Kakamigahara City, Gifu Prefecture, was defrauded of cryptocurrency worth approximately 30 million yen by a person claiming to be a Japanese man she met on social media.

According to police, the victim is a part-time employee in her 70s living in Kakamigahara City.

The woman began communicating with the person claiming to be a Japanese man on social media from April this year, developed feelings for him, and was subsequently defrauded of cryptocurrency worth 29.69 million yen.

She was told via social media messages such as “This is our shared future” and “I’ll make proper plans,” and between October and December, she made transfers a total of eight times, resulting in the fraud.

Police advise that if you are approached with an investment offer by someone you have never met in person through social media, you should suspect it is a scam.

Kakamigahara City

Kakamigahara City, located in Gifu Prefecture, Japan, is a modern city known for its deep ties to the aerospace industry. Historically an agricultural area, it transformed in the 20th century with the establishment of a major Japan Air Self-Defense Force base and the Kawasaki aircraft manufacturing plant. Today, it is a hub for aviation technology and hosts the Kakamigahara Aerospace Science Museum.

Gifu Prefecture

Gifu Prefecture, located in central Japan, is a region rich in history and traditional culture, historically known as the Mino Province. It is famous for the UNESCO World Heritage site of Shirakawa-go, with its iconic thatched-roof gassho-zukuri farmhouses, and the historic city of Gifu, which was a key base for the powerful warlord Oda Nobunaga during the Sengoku period in the 16th century. Today, the prefecture is also celebrated for its traditional cormorant fishing (ukai) on the Nagara River and its long-standing craftsmanship in areas like Mino washi paper and Seki cutlery.

Gifu Prefectural Police Headquarters

The Gifu Prefectural Police Headquarters is the central administrative and operational command center for police services in Gifu Prefecture, Japan. Established as part of the modern Japanese police system following the Meiji Restoration, it oversees law enforcement, public safety, and community policing across the prefecture from its main facility in Gifu City.