Gold bars increasingly used in scams in Japan

In Japan, the use of gold bars in scams has become increasingly prevalent, leading to significant financial losses. According to data from the National Police Agency, gold bar scam losses reached ¥8.13 billion in the first half of 2026, surpassing the losses from all of last year, which totaled ¥6.02 billion. This represents a sharp increase in the use of gold bars as a tool for fraudulent activities.

The majority of the recent losses, amounting to roughly ¥5.3 billion, were attributed to scams where fraudsters impersonated police officers. Victims were duped into believing their bank accounts had been involved in criminal activities, and were then coerced into sending gold bars to expedite investigations. This type of scam accounted for about two-thirds of the total losses in 2026.

In addition to police impersonation scams, investment scams conducted through social media also played a role in the financial losses. Victims were enticed to buy gold bars with the promise of future investment returns. These social media scams resulted in approximately ¥2 billion in losses.

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