Tokyo police have launched a series of manga-style videos warning young people about criminal recruitment disguised as easy, well-paid jobs on social media. The five short videos are based on real cases and show how seemingly harmless offers can quickly lead people into fraud, robbery, and other crimes.
The campaign comes as Japanese authorities continue to confront recruitment by so-called tokuryu, or anonymous and fluid criminal groups. These groups use social media and job websites to find people willing to carry out crimes while keeping the organizers hidden. According to the Mainichi Shimbun, police issued warnings against 50,213 suspected criminal recruitment posts during the first half of 2026, an increase of 14,576 from the same period in 2025.
Tokyo Police Shows How “Easy Jobs” Become Criminal Cases
Each video runs for roughly one to two minutes and dramatizes a different scenario. One focuses on a young man struggling with excessive smartphone game spending who responds to a social media post promising easy, high-paying work.
After communicating with the recruiter, he is instructed to open a bank account and hand over the account information. He receives 50,000 yen, but is arrested several days later after the account is used in a crime. The consequences extend to his family, with a damages claim arriving at his home and assets being seized.
Other videos depict similarly deceptive recruitment. One follows a woman who applies for what appears to be an overseas resort job before being forced to make telephone calls as part of a fraud operation. Another shows a supposed driving job turning into an assignment to transport people involved in a robbery.
A senior Metropolitan Police Department official warned that becoming involved can have devastating consequences, saying,
“Get involved and your life is over.”
The official also urged anyone who encounters a suspicious offer to consult police before accepting the work.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department separately warns that seemingly attractive “dark part-time jobs” can involve roles such as receiving money, withdrawing funds, transporting packages, or assisting fraud schemes.
The new videos are available online through police resources focused on preventing recruitment into tokuryu criminal groups.
