TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The number of Taiwanese working as money mules for fraud rings in Japan recorded a marked increase in 2024, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Tuesday.

The Taiwan-Japan Relations Association (TJRA) said Japan was not releasing any official figures, but Taiwanese offices in the country received notices of related incidents every month in 2024, a noted increase from 2023, per CNA. TJRA Secretary-General Fan Chen-kuo (范振國) warned Taiwanese not to believe online ads promising easy high-paying jobs in Japan.

Some had signed up for the jobs not realizing what they implied, while others had willingly joined fraud rings, he said. In some cases, the recruits were asked to visit victims’ homes and defraud them of valuable watches, gold bars, and bank cards.

The scammers will be arrested sooner or later because police in Japan have made finding foreign fraud groups a priority, according to Fan. Taiwanese participants in the scams would face prison and a criminal record.