Social Media-Related Crimes Highlighted in Japanese Police Report
Japanese Authorities Crack Down on Social Media-Related Crimes
Japanese authorities are stepping up their efforts to combat crimes involving social media, including those linked to tokuryu groups, investment fraud, and drug trafficking. The National Police Agency (NPA) is employing modern investigative methods such as digital forensics, cryptocurrency tracking, and the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to tackle the challenges posed by encryption and the sophistication of these crimes.
The NPA's investigative strategies include digital forensics, which involves extracting data from confiscated devices like smartphones and recovering information from damaged electronics to secure evidence. This method is crucial for linking perpetrators to crimes committed via social media.
Cryptocurrency tracking techniques are also being used to trace illicit financial flows, especially in investment fraud cases. The use of digital currencies in money laundering and fraud schemes associated with these crimes is a significant concern for the authorities.
AI is playing a vital role in cyber patrolling, allowing for proactive monitoring of online platforms to identify emerging threats and criminal activity. This proactive approach is essential in combating the ever-evolving nature of social media-based crimes.
In addition to these methods, the police are using undercover techniques like using fictitious identities and opening bank accounts under false names to infiltrate crime groups and monitor money flows.
According to the NPA's annual white paper published on July 29, 2025, over 10,000 social media-linked investment and romance fraud cases were detected in Japan in 2024, with total fraud losses exceeding ¥127.2 billion. The white paper highlights trends of crimes involving social media and presents a special section dedicated to investigative methods for these offenses.
Tokuryu groups, loosely organized crime groups operating anonymously via social media, are exploiting it for recruitment, drug trafficking, and child prostitution. While the report does not provide details about the composition or number of "tokuryu" groups, it is noted that these groups are contacting ordinary citizens and committing crimes using social media.
The information presented in the fiscal 2025 report does not specify the geographical distribution of the crimes mentioned or the detected cases. However, it is clear that social media is being used by these groups for activities such as drug trafficking and child prostitution, in addition to recruitment and fraud.
The NPA is emphasizing these modern investigative methods to address the challenges posed by encryption and the sophistication of social media-based crimes. The agency is also focusing on improving cyber personnel training to keep pace with evolving technologies.
However, the report does not elaborate on the exact AI models or cryptographic methods used, nor on prosecution techniques such as interrogation recording linked directly to these crime types. Enhanced interrogation recording practices are under discussion more generally in Japan’s criminal procedure system, but specific details regarding these crime types are not provided.
Despite these gaps, the report underscores the importance of adopting modern investigative methods to combat the rising trend of social media-related crimes in Japan.
- The National Police Agency (NPA) is employing various modern technologies, such as AI, digital forensics, and cryptocurrency tracking, to analyze photos and other media evidence found on confiscated devices, to combat general-news crimes like social media-related fraud and crime-and-justice offenses.
- In order to combat the increasing use of encryption and the sophistication of social media-based crimes, the Japanese authorities are investing in improving the training of their cyber personnel and adopting proactive monitoring techniques using AI, which can help identify criminal activity in photo-based conversions and other online interactions.
