Dubious side job recruitment targeting young people: Easy and lucrative? There's always a catch!

Sample Cases

[Case 1]

When browsing the Internet, I found a side job of counseling through chat. I applied for the job and sent a photo of my insurance card and student identification card. A man I counseled told me that he would give me 200,000 yen in addition to the reward. I repeatedly paid a fee for exchanging personal information to the side job site with my credit card and prepaid electronic money: 5,000 yen, 10,000 yen, 30,000 yen and 50,000 yen. Somehow, I was unable to complete the procedure for exchanging personal information and I was charged for another 70,000 yen. Then I noticed that I had been cheated.

(woman in her 10s)

[Case 2]

My acquaintance introduced me a side job of parcel receiving service. I applied for the job through chat and sent a photo of my certificate of residence and electricity payment receipt. A person in charge instructed me as follows: "We will purchase mobile phones under your name, but a bill will not be delivered to you. Please forward the mobile phones to the specified address." I did as I was told and received a 60,000 yen reward. At a later date, however, a bill for six mobile phones was delivered to me from the mobile phone company. I'm unable to contact the person in charge. What should I do?

(woman in her 20's)

Problems and Advice

An increasing number of young people in their 10s and 20s have got in trouble over dubious side jobs.

(1) Beware of "handling charge" and "registration fee"!

Never easily believe online ads and social media messages emphasizing "Easy to make money," "You can start it casually," etc. Fraudsters impersonating recruiters, etc. often con people into paying money for fictitious reasons (e.g. site access charge, handling charge, etc. necessary to receive a reward). If you are even slightly dubious about an offer, flatly decline it even if you are recommended by your friend.

(2) Never undertake "parcel receiving service" and "parcel forwarding service"

Fraudsters pretend to recruit people into "parcel receiving service" or "parcel forwarding service." In reality, they want to buy mobile phones under the name of others and such phones might be used in crimes.

Under the Act on Identification, etc. by Mobile Voice Communications Carriers of their Subscribers, etc. and for Prevention of Improper Use of Mobile Voice Communications Services, mobile carriers are required to check customer identity when making a mobile phone contract in Japan. It is considered illegal for anyone to make a contract impersonating someone else. Do not easily disclose personal information and identification.

Even if you are told that you don't need to pay a mobile phone price and its monthly charges, a contract signatory may be billed. If you don't pay the bill and the contract is canceled on a mandatory basis, you may have disadvantages in making a mobile phone contract in the future. In addition, you may be registered with credit bureaus in case of payment in installments.

(3) Reaching adulthood at the age of 18!

Since the age of adulthood has been lowered from 20 to 18, it is concerned that young consumers aged 18 and 19 years may be prone to problems that have been often experienced by consumers in their 20s. There's no easy task to make money. Exercise caution!

Reference:

• "Advice for young consumers No.5: Trouble over dubious side job recruitment - Easy and lucrative? There's always a catch!" released by NCAC on September 16, 2021(Japanese version)