Japan’s Popular E-Commerce Marketplaces Cooperate with Police Against Fraud
Japan’s National Police Agency has signed a new information-sharing agreement with the country’s major platform operators in order to prevent the increasing number of fraudulent transactions in e-commerce and online marketplaces. The agreement was made with Mercari Inc., LY Corp. and Rakuten Group Inc.
E-Commerce Services in Japan Included in the Scope
The new cooperation in Japan’s e-commerce ecosystem covers all e-commerce services offered by the three companies. Within this scope, suspicious transactions detected through online shopping sites, auction platforms and user-to-user sales services will be shared with the police.
According to the agreement, when the platforms detect suspected fraud through seller reports or customer complaints about products not being delivered, they will provide the relevant account information, credit card data identified as being used in fraud, and delivery addresses to Japan’s National Police Agency.
Police Will Analyze the Data and Share It with Companies
Japan’s National Police Agency will compare the information received from the companies with the existing data it holds and analyze fraudulent activities that may be connected across different platforms. The analysis results will be shared with the companies in order to prevent new damages. The findings will also be used in police investigations.
AI-Powered Security Applications Are Also on the Agenda
The fight against e-commerce fraud in Japan is not limited only to platform data. Steps to remove fraudulent content spread through social media are also on the agenda in the country. Content related especially to romance scams, investment fraud and crime-linked advertisements known as “dark part-time jobs” is being targeted.
In addition, it has been reported that a certification program has been launched for smartphone applications aimed at combating fraud. Such applications are intended to detect international calls linked to fraud centers and provide users with real-time alerts.
A New Era for Retail Security
This step taken in Japan envisions closer data cooperation between the public and private sectors in the fields of e-commerce, AI-powered security and digital retail. The agreement involving Mercari, LY Corp. and Rakuten aims to enable faster intervention against fake sellers, undelivered products and misused payment information in online marketplaces.