‘I got a woman pregnant and I need money,’ bogus son tells elderly man on phone

YOKOHAMA — Police in Yokohama have arrested an unemployed 19-year-old man on suspicion of attempted fraud after he tried to get a man in his 70s to pay him money by pretending to be his son.

According to the police, the suspect made phone calls to the elderly man, who lives in Shikama, Miyagi Prefecture, on Sept 29 and Oct 1, in which he pretended to be the man’s son and said he needed money because he had gotten a woman pregnant, Sankei Shimbun reported.

Police said the suspect told the man, "I had an affair and now I have to pay 3 million yen in compensation.”

The man thought it was suspicious and called the police who arrested the suspect on the spot when he came to collect the cash on Tuesday.

Police believe the man was a "receiver" for a specialized fraud group, and are questioning about other scams he may have been involved in.

© Japan Today