Cheap Peach Scam Spreads Online
A new type of fraud in which scammers pose as real farmers and advertise seasonal fruit at unusually low prices has been detected in the Kansai region, with police warning consumers to verify sellers through official websites before making purchases. (News On Japan)
The Kansai region has been experiencing a new type of online scam where scammers pose as genuine farmers to advertise seasonal fruit at suspiciously low prices. Police in Wakayama Prefecture, known for its high-quality Arakawa peaches, have warned consumers to verify sellers through official websites before making any purchases.
A farmer in Kinokawa, Madoka Inagaki, received a phone call in late July alerting her that someone was using her farm's name to sell peaches online at a significantly discounted price. The social media account claimed to represent Marukoma Farm, offering 12 peaches for 1,000 yen, which is less than half of the farm's usual rate.
The informant became suspicious and contacted the farm directly, who confirmed they were not operating the fake account. Marukoma Farm quickly issued a warning through social media, but similar suspicious accounts using similar photographs and claims have been found elsewhere. Police have confirmed multiple cases in Osaka Prefecture, with one victim losing up to 2.65 million yen.
They urge consumers to always confirm sellers through official websites before making a purchase, as the fraudulent scheme could damage the reputations and businesses of legitimate farmers.
Written by urgent.news from News On Japan's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
