NHK


 

The number of reported phishing cases in Japan topped 100,000 for the first time in July. The scammers use emails and other means to direct Internet users to fake websites to steal their personal information.

The Council of Anti-Phishing Japan says there were 107,948 such reports last month.

The organization also says a record number of 49,188 phishing websites were detected in July.

The council says a significant number of phishing emails resemble legitimate messages.

Some text messages were sent in the National Tax Agency's name to direct the recipients to phishing websites.

Some of the messages said there was a problem with the method of tax payment, while others demanded payment of unpaid taxes.

People who click on the links are asked to enter their credit card information or the codes of their prepaid cards.

The National Tax Agency says it does not use text messages for such purposes.

The council says people should make sure that websites are authentic if they are asked to enter credit card details and other personal information.