Photo/Illutration Top officials of NTT Docomo Inc. apologize to victims for illicit withdrawals made through the Docomo e-payment system at a news conference in Tokyo’s Chiyoda Ward on Sept. 10. (Toshiyuki Hayashi)

There are many interesting stories about writer Yasunari Kawabata (1899-1972).

One is about how this reputed novelist turned a burglar away one night, only by staring down the intruder with his famously intense, googly eyes.

According to an essay about the Nobel literature laureate by writer Junnosuke Yoshiyuki (1924-1994), the burglar broke into Kawabata’s bedroom.

As the burglar searched inside the pockets of Kawabata’s coat, his gaze met the writer’s. Kawabata was still awake. At that moment, the burglar said, “You say no?” and ran away.

Indeed, Kawabata’s face was defined by his large, piercing eyes. Their intensity could be felt even in a photograph.

NTT Docomo Inc.’s electronic payment service apparently lacks the ability to keep an eagle eye on account activity to monitor for theft.

The system has been manipulated to illegally withdraw money from accounts at more than a dozen regional banks across Japan. What is unnerving is the revelation that the victims did not set up their Docomo account themselves and some of them did not even use NTT Docomo as their mobile service carrier.

Thieves are believed to have obtained the bank account numbers and corresponding four-digit pin numbers of victims. They then used that information to set up fake Docomo accounts linked to the bank accounts so they could withdraw money while the bank account holders were totally unaware.

The system to monitor for such fake Docomo accounts was clearly ineffective. All bank account holders need to check their account activity to see whether they are victims of this theft scheme. This is a serious matter.

When you shop online, you feel as if someone is watching you. Online ads appear in your web browser, recommending certain products based on your purchasing history. This is done by the eye of the computer. But your online activities may also be watched by the eyes of some malicious people.

You may have only been lucky if you have never been a victim of a cybercrime.

As of Sept. 11, thefts linked to the Docomo payment service were uncovered in 73 cases, in which 19.9 million yen ($187,500) in total was siphoned out of customers’ accounts at 12 banks. But the whole picture of the crime remains unclear, with no suspect identified yet.

Even so, the mobile carrier seems to have no intention of terminating the service, for whatever reason.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Sept. 13

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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.

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