Key Facts
• June 2025: A man in his 50s from Saijo City, Ehime, was targeted via SNS.
• The victim was approached by someone claiming to be a cryptocurrency analyst.
• False promises of an 8–10x return on investment were made.
• The victim purchased cryptocurrency worth approximately 15.1 million yen.
• He transferred the funds to an address provided by the scammer.
• A fake trading site showed the value rising to over 100 million yen.
• The victim was asked to pay 5% of total assets (3.5 million yen) to unlock withdrawals.
• Total loss: approximately 18.6 million yen.
• July 16, 2025: A financial institution reported suspected fraud to the police.
• July 25, 2025: The victim filed a formal complaint.
• Police are investigating the case as an SNS-based investment scam.
Summary
A man in his 50s from Saijo City, Ehime, fell victim to an SNS-based cryptocurrency investment scam, losing approximately 18.6 million yen. The scammer, claiming to be a cryptocurrency analyst, promised high returns of 8–10 times the investment. The victim transferred 15.1 million yen worth of cryptocurrency to the scammer and later sent an additional 3.5 million yen after being told his funds were locked on a fake trading site. The scam was reported by a financial institution on July 16, 2025, and the victim filed a complaint on July 25, 2025. Police are actively investigating the case.
