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Japan police guard ATMs to catch crooks

Posted October 16, 2008 01:03:00

More than 50,000 Japanese police have been deployed to guard automatic teller machines throughout the country as part of an operation to stop elderly and vulnerable people falling victim to swindlers.

The fraud involves criminals randomly telephoning people, pretending to be relatives in desperate need of money.

It is estimated that already this year almost $300 million have been extorted from victims.

- BBC

Tags: law-crime-and-justice, crime, police, japan

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