Science & Tech · Cybersecurity · 35 mins ago
Two arrested in Japan over alleged smartphone-control fraud
Japanese police arrested two men over an alleged phone-control fraud involving a malicious app.
The men, aged 31 and 33, are accused of working with another person believed to be the group's leader.
Police say they targeted a man in his 60s from Hyogo Prefecture after he was tricked into downloading the app.
The suspects allegedly took control of his smartphone and used an electronic payment service to buy trading cards from a toy store in Fukuoka.
The cards were worth about 570,000 yen, or around $3,600.
Similar incidents have been reported across Japan since August, and police say this is the first arrest in a case of this kind nationwide.
The investigation involves police in Fukuoka, Hokkaido and Hyogo, but the sources do not say what happens next.
Two Chinese men were arrested in Japan on suspicion of using a malicious app to remotely control a man's smartphone and obtain trading cards fraudulently.
Police said the men allegedly acted with another person in September, using an electronic payment service to obtain cards worth about 570,000 yen ($3,600).
The alleged victim was a man in his 60s from Hyogo Prefecture who had been tricked into downloading the app.
The cards were obtained from a toy store in Fukuoka.
Police said similar incidents have been reported across Japan since August and described the arrest as the first of its kind nationwide.
- Who
- Two Chinese men were arrested. Police allege they acted with another person.
- What
- They are suspected of remotely controlling a man's smartphone through a malicious app and fraudulently obtaining trading cards.
- When
- The alleged incident took place in September; the arrests were reported on November 10, 2026.
- Where
- The victim was from Hyogo Prefecture, and the cards were obtained from a toy store in Fukuoka, Japan.
- Why
- Not stated.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Police said similar incidents had been reported across Japan.
The men allegedly conspired with another person to remotely control a Hyogo man's smartphone and fraudulently obtain trading cards.
Reports said two Chinese men had been arrested on suspicion of the fraud.
- Suspects
- Two Chinese men
- Suspects' details
- An unemployed 31-year-old from Osaka and a 33-year-old whose address is unknown
- Alleged victim
- A man in his 60s from Hyogo Prefecture
- Value of cards
- About 570,000 yen ($3,600)
- Store location
- Fukuoka