Four foreigners have been arrested on suspicion of swindling two people out of about 5.4 million yen through a scheme dubbed "black money," police said Friday.
The swindle has been reported by law-enforcement authorities worldwide. Con artists typically convince victims that black pieces of paper are dyed $100 bills that can be restored to their original state by treating them with a certain chemical.
Police said the arrests mark the first time the scheme has been uncovered in Japan.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.