Japanese police announced that nearly 10 residents from Fukuoka Prefecture traveled to Cambodia and lost contact, believed to be involved with a call center gang in Cambodia.
On 20 February 2026, police in Fukuoka Prefecture in southwestern Japan revealed that over the past two years, nearly 10 Fukuoka residents traveled to Cambodia and lost contact. Authorities believe some may have become involved with telephone scam operations or other crimes.
Officials stated that some Japanese have been forced to work at scam operation centers in Cambodia. They suspect that some of the missing individuals may be connected to fraud cases, a type of scam where criminals contact victims by phone or other means, impersonating government officials or family members to trick them into transferring money.
Police noted that initially, some people left Japan after being lured through social media, with offers such as free overseas trips or high-paying job advertisements. Japanese police have warned the public not to trust social media ads offering free foreign trips or unusually high-paying jobs, as these may be traps leading to involvement in transnational crime networks.
Source: NHK