---
title: "Japanese Lawyer Arrested For Money Recovery Fraud – 2023"
canonical: https://scamsnow.com/japanese-lawyer-arrested-2023/
type: post
author: "SCARS Editorial Team"
published: 2023-12-05
modified: 2023-12-09
categories: ["2023", "COUNTRY SPECIFIC", "Crimes & Criminals", "NPO Charms Japan", "SCARS Institute Editorial Team"]
summary: ""
organization: "ScamsNOW.com - the Official Magazine of Scams Fraud & Cybercrime"
organization_url: https://scamsnow.com/
llms: https://scamsnow.com/llms.txt
---

# Japanese Lawyer Arrested For Money Recovery Fraud – 2023

# Japanese Lawyer Arrested For Collaborating With Money Recovery Scammers

##### Authors:
•  SCARS Editorial Team - Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc.
•  NPO Charms Team

## 'International Romance Fraud Victim Relief' - A Japanese Lawyer Was Arrested For Participation In Money Recovery Fraud Related To Romance Scams

An 82-year-old Japanese lawyer was arrested in Tokyo by the Osaka Prefectural Police for lending his lawyer's name and credentials to a defendant charged with money recovery fraud, according to interviews with people involved in the investigation.

The defendant claimed to be a lawyer's office and was working under the pretext of saving victims of romance scams by recovering their money. The police are investigating the details of the case as both a money recovery fraud and for professional misconduct.

The arrested suspect is Takao Takehara (82), is a licensed lawyer from Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo.

According to those involved in the investigation, he is suspected of violating the Lawyers Act by lending his lawyer's name and credentials to Junichi Muramatsu (41), a real estate agent in Saitama City, who was charged with defrauding romance scam victims between 2021 and 2022.

Claiming to be the office of Mr. Takehara, the defendant Muramatsu was working under the pretext of providing relief to victims of romance scams. This has become a serious problem in Japan where unethical attorneys are taking victim's money to investigate and recover their money but deliver now real services. This is just another example of how fraudsters prey on scam victims to steal the last of their money.

The defendant was re-arrested on suspicion of violating the Lawyers Act on the 5th for receiving a total of more than 3 million yen as professional services fees from the five male and female romance scam victims.

The received cash was transferred to an account in the name of Mr. Takehara's office.

The case is still under investigation by the Osaka Prefectural Police.

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