Special fraud and SNS scams: The growing threat to Japan’s banking sector

Japan’s banking sector is at a tipping point. In 2024 alone, consumer fraud losses surged to ¥208 billion — an 89% year-on-year increase — with scams driving 96% of all fraud. From “it’s me” impersonation scams to sophisticated social-media investment schemes, criminals are bypassing traditional defenses by exploiting the human element — coaching, coercing, and deceiving customers into authorizing transactions themselves.

As regulators tighten controls with enhanced eKYC, account-freezing mandates, and IC-chip ID verification, compliance alone is no longer enough. To safeguard trust and protect customers, banks need to see beyond credentials. They need to understand behavior.

What you’ll learn in this white paper

• The scale of Japan’s fraud crisis: Why scams now dominate losses and how mule networks fuel illicit flows
• Behavioral intelligence explained: How subtle signs of hesitation, dictation, stress, and more can reveal real-time manipulation invisible to static controls
• How to stop fraud before it happens: From authorized push payment (APP) scams to mule account detection weeks before money moves
• Real-world results: Case studies out of both Japan and global banks like ANZ show measurable impact and award-winning outcomes.
• Future-ready strategies: How leading institutions are preparing for Japan’s evolving regulatory landscape and scammers shifting tactics