Chinese man arrested for operating fake base station in downtown area on suspicion of violating the Radio Law - Sending fraudulent messages? Metropolitan Police Department

By the 9th, the Metropolitan Police Department's Security Division had arrested an unemployed Chinese national, Yu Hai (31), from Kamiya, Kita Ward, Tokyo, on the 9th, on suspicion of operating a mobile phone base station without a license in a downtown Tokyo area, in violation of the Radio Act (illegal operation of a wireless station). He denied the charges, saying, ``I've never used a radio before. I don't know.''

On the same day, the same division also referred him to the public prosecutor's office on charges of violating the same law (interfering with important radio communications) for interfering with NTT Docomo's communications. This is the first time in the country that a suspect has been arrested for interfering with mobile phone communications.

According to the department, the suspect used a special device installed in his car to emit jamming radio waves, cutting off normal communications, and then connecting to 2G radio waves, an old second-generation communications standard, emitted from a fake base station. The scam appears to have taken advantage of the fact that the communication authentication system is weaker than the currently used 4G and 5G, and sent fraudulent messages in Chinese via SMS (Short Message Service).

The message says, ``Due to the risk of unauthorized use overseas, credit card payments are temporarily suspended,'' and will direct you to a site where you can enter your credit card information.

It is believed that this behavior was repeated in Ginza, Shinjuku, and Shibuya, and the jamming caused about 10,000 smartphones a day to be out of range within a radius of at least 500 meters. Since January of last year, 18 people, including Chinese tourists, have consulted us, and the amount of damage is said to be approximately 4 million yen.The division is currently investigating whether there is any organizational involvement.

He was arrested on the 7th on suspicion of installing a radio in his car and operating a radio station in Ginza, Chuo Ward, even though he did not have a license.