Tokyo, March 26 (Jiji Press)–The number of home renovation scam cases involving fraudulent home checks that were cracked down on by police across Japan in 2025 reached 83, the highest since existing records began in 2010, National Police Agency data showed Thursday. Total damage exceeded 15 billion yen, also a record high. Thirty-four cases were linked to “tokuryu” anonymous and transient criminal groups. Home renovation scams often involve scammers visiting detached homes and telling residents that parts of their property, such as the roof, are broken and need immediate repair, later charging exorbitant repair costs. In some cases, the scammers intentionally damage parts of homes while pretending to conduct inspections, as well as recommend unnecessary work under the guise of improving homes’ energy efficiency. Such scams primarily target elderly people. The number of cases cracked down on by police increased by 17 from a total of 66 in 2024, marking record highs for two years in a row. The value of damage increased 3.3-fold to 15.16 billion yen, reflecting a large-scale case of a construction business law violation cracked down on by Tokyo’s Metropolitan Police Department. Of the 133 victims in the cases, more than 70 pct were aged 65 or older. Many were unable to check for themselves the areas in their homes that scammers said needed repairs, and often paid charges without knowing the appropriate prices of repairs. The number of perpetrators increased by 45 to 175, of whom 105 were tokuryu-linked individuals who signed up for illicit job offers. Tokuryu rings engage in a variety of crimes such as fraud, robbery and drug dealing, and it is difficult to identify their masterminds and organizational structure. The NPA is strengthening efforts to crack down on home renovation scams through collaboration between its internal departments, saying that the scams and other economic crimes affecting daily life may lead to identifying masterminds. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
Japan Home Renovation Scams Hit Record High in 2025
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