Photo/Illutration Koganei, a city in western Tokyo, warns residents on its website about phone scams involving callers posing as city officials. (Captured from Koganei city government website)

Reports of suspicious phone calls and home visits by scammers posing as government officials have climbed since the sinkhole in Yashio, Saitama Prefecture, led to emergency inspections of sewer pipes nationwide.

Local governments across Japan are urging residents to be cautious of the swindlers, who often offer “free” home inspections.

Since January, residents of Koganei, a city in western Tokyo, have received numerous suspicious phone calls from individuals claiming to be city officials.

The callers say things like, “We need to clean your home’s sewage system, so we ask that you be present,” or, “We need to inspect a manhole, so please let us know when you will be home.”

The city has received more than 100 inquiries about such calls.

Some residents were told that the inspection is free, but they were later charged a high fee, according to the city.

Koganei city says on its website and social media accounts that it does not make such calls to residents.

“They are exploiting residents’ fears,” an official warned. “If the caller is pushy, please report it to the police.”

The city government of Koshi, Kumamoto Prefecture, has received more than a dozen reports from residents about shifty individuals pretending to be contracted by the city for sewer inspections and cleaning services.

Similar cases have been reported in Bando, Ibaraki Prefecture. The city has issued a warning about the imposters on its website.

A ruptured sewer pipe beneath an intersection in Yashio in January is believed to have weakened the road’s foundation, leading to a sinkhole that swallowed a truck and its driver.

The government has since ordered emergency inspections of sewage pipes around the country.

According to the National Consumer Affairs Center of Japan, “inspection scams” have been increasing in recent years.

The swindles often involve “contractors” entering homes under the pretense of a “free inspection” and using scare tactics to persuade the residents to sign expensive contracts.

The center advises people to be wary about letting strangers into their homes and to refuse services that are unnecessary.

(This article was written by Ari Hirayama and Mihoko Terada.)

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