Furikome sagi (bank transfer scams) have become such an entrenched part of life in Japan that you can't even make a bank transfer via an ATM these days without first acknowledging a notice reminding you to refrain from sending money to people you don't know.
Still, such scams continue to deceive people, especially the elderly, in spite of ongoing warnings from the National Police Agency. The fraudulent activity can have serious consequences.
According to the Metropolitan Police Department, a Tokyo woman in her 70s was cheated out of about ¥1.4 million in a bank transfer scam in January 2018. The woman committed suicide two weeks after she filed a criminal complaint with the police. In a note, the woman said she felt depressed after falling for the fraud.