A criminal organization in Japan has been exploiting senior citizens by utilizing prominent job-seeking websites. The group has been advertising part-time occupations, like ‘carrying objects’ and ‘collecting items’, claiming to provide high wages. It is believed that these sites, including Indeed, Engage and Jimoty, have been misused for this purpose.
Applicants who answer the advertisements are told to employ a highly confidential messaging app and to give false information about themselves. They are then asked to visit the residences of elderly individuals in order to collect cash and cards. The organization bypasses the selection criteria of the recruiting sites by using a fake company name. Law enforcement bodies in seven metropolitan areas such as Tokyo, Aichi, and Fukuoka have uncovered this fraud. Last year, 38 males and females who accepted these job offers were apprehended.
Last October, the Aichi Prefectural Police apprehended a 21-year-old man who had conned money from an elderly person. The individual had accepted a position offer for a ‘delivery worker’ on an employment website. Likewise, the Metropolitan Police Department arrested a 27-year-old man in November for attempting deception and he allegedly stated that he had done it approximately 15 times and received 20,000 yen each time.
The fraudulent group has now turned its attention to regular job openings to more reliably recruit personnel. However, this practice is prohibited under the Employment Security Law. The Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare plans to strengthen measures against illegal recruitment of “dark part-time jobs” and remove illegal job offers.
Operating companies of the three sites, including Indeed, have pledged to take measures to prevent a recurrence. This incident highlights the need for more stringent screening processes to ensure that job-hunting websites are not used for fraudulent activities. It is crucial to protect the elderly and vulnerable individuals from such scams and to take strict measures against those who engage in illegal recruitment practices.