A Sri Lankan organization posing as an IT company has been accused of recruiting local Japanese-speaking individuals to defraud Japanese nationals through investment scams, according to a former employee who spoke with Kyodo News.
While the scale of the scam remains unclear, the ex-worker revealed that victims had reportedly transferred sums as high as 30 million yen (approximately $192,000) to the organization’s account in Japan.
Phone and online scams involving Japanese fraudsters operating in Southeast Asia have been widely reported. However, cases involving locals from South Asia targeting Japanese nationals are relatively rare.
The whistleblower, a Sri Lankan fluent in Japanese due to prior employment in Japan, stated that the Colombo-based operation employed over 100 people, though none appeared to be Japanese. He resigned after feeling uneasy about defrauding people from a country he holds in high regard.
The man disclosed that he found the job via a Facebook advertisement offering a salary of about 250,000 Sri Lankan rupees ($855). His duties included calling Japanese phone numbers using scripts to pitch fraudulent investments. The calls were made using an app that masked their origin in Sri Lanka.
Authorities in Japan and Sri Lanka are yet to comment on the allegations. The incident highlights growing concerns about cross-border fraud and the exploitation of local workers for illicit activities.
