Rei Kobayashi

Aug 28, 2024 | asia.nikkei.com | Rei Kobayashi

TOKYO -- The use of deepfakes by fraudsters has surged in Japan, according to private-sector data, showing how the language barrier no longer provides a protection against global scammers. The number of deepfake cases in Japan jumped 28-fold last year, according to a tally by Sumsub, a British provider of identity verification services. The rise was the fifth largest among 224 economies tracked.

Feb 21, 2024 | asia.nikkei.com | Rei Kobayashi |Reo Naito |Jino Asano

TOKYO -- With Japan set to allow ride-hailing services on a limited basis from April, the country is cracking down on unauthorized operators who target foreign visitors accustomed to services like Uber. Around 9 a.m. on Feb. 8, a van with a white license plate pulled up in front of Terminal 3 at Haneda Airport in Tokyo. A family got out and headed to the lobby with suitcases in hand.

May 15, 2023 | asia.nikkei.com | Akinobu Iwasawa |Rei Kobayashi

TOKYO -- North Korea is using cyberattacks to target Japanese cryptocurrency assets. Hacker groups affiliated with North Korea have stolen $721 million from Japan since 2017, according to a study by a U.K.-based compliance specialist. That is equal to 30% of the total of such losses worldwide. Pyongyang is believed to have targeted the crypto assets of other countries to obtain the foreign currency that it uses for its missile program. This could, in turn, threaten the security of Asia.