Osaka to ban older people from using ATMs while on the phone to help stop scams

Elderly people in particular are often the victims of fraud attempts. The authorities in Osaka want to take action against this: people over the age of 65 are no longer allowed to make phone calls during the use of ATMs.

The Japanese million-year-old city of Osaka prohibits over 65-year-olds from making phone calls to ATMs. In particular, older people are the target of organized frauds, the authorities argued. They would often spend themselves on the telephone as relatives, police officers or lawyers and urge their victims to withdraw or transfer money for them. Last year, the resulting nationwide damage in Japan reached a peak of about 443 million euros.The new…

No phone calls at the ATM, Osaka tells over-65s in bid to stop scams

TOKYO, April 25 — The Japanese city of Osaka will ban elderly people from using ATMs while on a phone call under a new rule to tackle a growing scourge of targeted scams. Nationwide, damage from organised fraud schemes — orchestrated by criminal gangs including the yakuza — reached a record 72.2 billion yen (RM2.2 billion) last year. Older people are often prime targets for cold calls, with scammers posing as relatives, police or lawyers to coax…

Japanese city to restrict how old people use ATMs in bid to stop scams

Osaka, one of Japan’s hardest-hit regions by phone-based fraud, has become the first city to implement strict measures to protect the elderly

Osaka to ban older people from using ATMs while on the phone to help stop scams

While the ban does not include penalties, the Osaka prefectural government hopes to build public consensus to help prevent scams.

In Osaka, Japan, it will be forbidden to talk on the phone when withdrawing money from an ATM. People over 65 will be stopped with an A.I. system. Organized fraud caused losses of $ 500 million in 2024. Scammers use phone calls, pretending to be relatives or police officers. The government is also considering a withdrawal limit for the elderly. However, violating the new rule will not lead to sanctions for people. "I have to hang up the phone, I…