Overview
- An expert report released Jan. 8 outlines police opening fictitious‑name bank accounts with financial‑institution cooperation, handing them to crime groups, then freezing them when victim funds land.
- The National Police Agency plans to submit an amendment to the Act on Prevention of Transfer of Criminal Proceeds at the ordinary Diet session convening Jan. 23.
- The proposals introduce criminal penalties for paid remittance services known as “remittance part‑time jobs,” a method confirmed in roughly 100 cases across 2023–2024.
- The report calls for tougher sanctions on account selling after a record 4,362 account‑transfer‑related cases were enforced in 2024.
- Recovered money would be returned to identified victims, with unidentified funds distributed through a new compensation program overseen by prefectural public safety commissions and any remainder directed to victim support.