On Air: Fukuoka City Information/2016.01.09(Sat)/09:00～

The Fukuoka City Consumer Affairs Center offers counseling on policy disputes, complaints, advice for solving problems and arbitration regarding consumer affairs. The Center gets a variety of inquiries. In today’s message, they would like to introduce the topic of improper sales practices.

To begin with, the Center receives many requests for consultation from young people and students who were contacted by people they met through social networking services, orby college associates, and invited to attend an entrepreneur training lecture. Once they decline the invitation due to having little money, they were then introduced to consumer finance options that will even lend to students. There are cases where students have had to pay up to 800,000 yen. If you receive an invitation to participate in such an affair, even if it comes from a friend or colleague, please say no if you have no need to borrow. It is easy to fall into problems handling multiple debt when borrowing money.

Another real-life example is about garbage disposal. People offer the service of hauling away up to one light-weight truck’s worth of your unwanted goods for just 10,000 yen. People see such an ad in a flyer and contact the service. For example, one person who loaded a truck with goods they wished to dispose of then was charged an exorbitant rate of 170,000 yen. Only garbage transport and collection services licensed by the city are valid. Follow the city’s guidance for disposal of oversized garbage and household electronics.

In other examples, people pose as securities companies and make emphatic promises such as, “You’re bound to make money!” and “The prices are guaranteed to go up.” People are invited to invest or buy company bonds, only to find out that several days later they are no longer able to contact the company. Another example is when someone is told they have won the right to have a spot in a new elderly care home, but that if they are not going to use it, it would be appreciated if they lent their name to someone else who would like the spot, in order that they may claim it. Once the person signs the paperwork, they are told that lending their name in such a way is illegal and extorted for money. Scams often take the form of a phone call, and exploit peoples' worries about money in the future, or ask for their kindness trying to help someone in need. The longer you listen to them, the harder it becomes to hang up the phone. Say no and end the call quickly. Consider any phone call about money to be a type of fraud.

The number one inquiry the Fukuoka City Consumer Affairs Center received in the 2014 fiscal year was regarding Internet fraud. People received fictitious bills, via email, from pay-for-use sites they had no recollection of using. The center gets many requests from people of all generations for consultation regarding these types of cases. They prey on consumers’ fears and try to trick them into paying money. Please do not contact any company requesting payment through this method.

People also try to get others’ personal information posing as a “My Number Research Inquiry”. All across the nation, consumer affairs centers are receiving calls about people being asked to provide their Individual Number for donation purposes. These attempts to trick others out of money have actually succeeded in some cases. Please be cautious.

If you have any trouble related to consumer affairs, don’t worry alone. Please call the Consumer Affairs Center. The number for consultation services is 092-781-0999. They are open weekdays from 9:00 AM until 5:00 PM, as well as on every second and fourth Saturday of the month from 10:00 AM until 4:00 PM.