Japanese police have given special prizes to convenience store owners and employees who prevented crypto fraud.
Officers in Naha, Okinawa Prefecture, delivered special letters of appreciation to Katsuya Fujiwara, 54, and his 51-year-old wife Kiyomi, co-owners of a 7-Eleven outlet in the town, according to Ryuku Shimpo.
Officers told reporters that on May 23 of this year, an elderly woman came into their store “in a rush” and said she needed to transfer USD 920 worth of cryptocurrency. Kiyomi apparently sensed something was wrong and advised the customer to stop making the crypto transfer – which can be done at many convenience stores in Japan using prepaid cards – while her husband reported a suspected case of fraud to the police.
Suzuko Muramatsu, the store’s 25-year-old manager, quickly “noticed” that a case of fraud was in the works and contacted a Naha-based police station.
According to reports, the Fujiwaras claimed that public recognition was unneeded and that they had merely “done the obvious thing.” Meanwhile, Matsumura stated:
“I would like to continue contributing to the safety of the people in this region and cooperating with police along with the store’s staff.”
Crypto-related fraud has been on the rise in Japan recently, with middle-aged and elderly residents apparently falling prey to complex schemes, some of which police say were orchestrated by people in their late 50s and early 60s.
