Beware suspicious phone calls exploiting the personal information leak at the Japan Pension Service

Local consumer centers across Japan have started receiving inquiries and complaints regarding suspicious phone calls related to the personal information leak at the Japan Pension Service. Callers tell people things like "your pension information has been leaked" and "your leaked pension information can be deleted."
These suspicious calls are a kind of fraud that offers to "delete your personal information that has been leaked" with the ultimate goal of tricking people out of their money. Due caution should be exercised, as such calls have been growing in number recently.
Calls offering to "delete your personal information" and the like are frauds. You should ignore them and hang up immediately.

Sample cases of inquiries and complaints

[Case1]

I received a call at home from someone claiming to belong to a Pension Leak Processing Committee, though his caller ID was blocked. He said that my pension information had been leaked and that others' information might have been leaked too, so he wanted me to tell him who in my family was receiving a pension. When I asked him to send the details in writing, he hung up.

(Woman in her 60s in Hokuriku)

[Case2]

I received a call from someone claiming to be with the Japan Pension Service. He told me personal information had been leaked and mentioned my name. He said he needed to speak directly to that person and kept asking if it was me. I said she was out of the house and he hung up, saying he would call back again.

(Woman in her 70s in Sanyo)

[Case3]

I received a call from someone claiming to be an official at NCAC, asking if I was aware of the pension incident and telling me my personal information had been leaked to three companies. He told me they had deleted my information from two of the companies but had been unable to do so for the third. "Fortunately," he said, "the director of a volunteer organization has agreed to act as your representative. You'll be contacted by the director soon about transferring authority to him." Then he hung up.

(Woman in her 60s in southern Kanto)

Advice for Consumers

• If you receive a suspicious call or solicitation telling you your pension information was leaked or offering to delete your leaked pension information, ignore it and hang up immediately.
• Consumers will never be contacted by phone or email by the Japan Pension Service, Consumer Affairs Agency, National Consumer Affairs Center of Japan (NCAC), or your local consumer center regarding this incident.
• If you are the least bit concerned, immediately contact your local consumer center or other such organization.