Beware, monk scam artists

I walked passed these jokers (there were 2 of them) in Akihabara; saw one of them reel in a tourist and I shouted real loudly "Just say NO!"

It's a really slimy scam because it targets people who have never been to Japan before and have heard so many things about respect in Japan, and they're so eager to be good and respectful tourists that when they're faced with a scam, they feel doubt and wonder if it's something they're expected to do.

I ran across a different scam in Ueno Park, when a man (not posing as a monk) came up and had a long conversation with me, while passing me printed poems and stories he had written. At the end he pointed to each one I was holding and said a price for each. Feeling kind of bad, I told him I could only afford the cheapest one (500 yen) and returned the rest.

All I can say is to try not to take anything that somebody tries to pass you. If your 'spidey-senses' are tingling or you feel unsure, there's no shame in saying "sorry, I'm in a rush" and moving along.

It's a really slimy scam because it targets people who have never been to Japan before and have heard so many things about respect in Japan, and they're so eager to be good and respectful tourists that when they're faced with a scam, they feel doubt and wonder if it's something they're expected to do.

That's exactly why they're successful. Just like any good scam they prey on the ignorant.

I was a victim on my first trip, they totally caught me off guard... since Japan is such a safe country, I wasnt expecting this at all.
It would never happen to me in my home country, since I know better.

On my second trip they tried several times, times but I scared them off each time. I was really mad to know they never ceased to do so, the authorities really need to do something about it.
Ueno park was CRAWLING with them, I spotted no less than 10 preying on tourists. I even saw one of them trying to pull it off on a girl and I tried to prevent it, but she fended my off like I was the criminal. It was really frustrating.

This scam still goes on. I was waiting for my wife at the Senso-ji temple as a young woman approached me, handing out a golden sticker. Then she showed a list of names and donations asking the same from me. I started writing my name but as I was doing it, I calculated the sums. Most were 10 000 yen or over. I realized that 100 yen would be enough but somehow ended up giving 1000 yen to get out of the situation. She kept ponting the previous sums but I walked away.

Main point is that in my home ground I never give anything to beggars, street charity or vendors. Here I have the in-built actions to such situations. Don't stop, don't look into their eyes, just shake youtr head and keep going.

Now I was in the temple grounds, with the idea of Japanese hospitality and respect. I had read that Tokyo is safe and there is no need to worry about scams with taxi drivers or restaurant bills.

New York or Berlin would have been different. There I would have acted normally and suspected something. I learnt a lesson.

Hi everyone!

Some good news here! It seems some Japanese cops just woke up and started to work...or maybe one of them have read this thread?
Anyway they have arrested several CHINESE crooks who used to target foreign tourists (or residents like me), golden buddha stickers, Buddhist prayer beads and all the usual stuff you all know now.
http://www.fnn-news.com/news/headlines/articles/CONN00355011.html

Hallelujah!

sadly I don't understand Japanese but I watch the video and I am surprise japan is now addressing this problem.

Suckering travelers to give up a large amount of cash for something is totally fake is wrong but this is done all over the world, travelers have set amount of money and budget for the day to travel with.

I remember when they walk up to me ask for me to give them 10,000 and show me the book, they kept pushing, I only ended up giving them lunch and dinner money, 2,000yen

its one thing going after the locals, but going after travelers, that wrong.

Hi,
It is almost 2 decades I have been living here and as it was said in the first comments these guys have been doing this for a very long time. Back in the beginning of the 2000s, I used to go to Akihabara 3 or even 4 times a week to Akiba to buy stuff I would sell on ebay (making a living...), everytime I was there they were there, I remember buying new games on PS2, PS1, it was like 2002 and there was the World Cup in Japan/Korea, these guys were there! I swear!

I think in the beginning, they were only chinese residents who used to do that scam because it was much more difficult to travel to Japan when you were a Chinese. The guy who was arrested in the video is not a resident. He lives in China and he used to come to Japan to make money by scamming tourists and getting back to China, he could make enough money so the plane ticket was a good investement. Free travel!

I also remember back then in Akiba there were some Israelis peddlers, guys and girls who were selling fake Rolex, Tag Heuer on each side of the Chuo Dori (Akiba main avenue) just like the ones you can see in Pataya or Bangkok...They never got annoyed by the useless cops.

Japanese police is an absolute disgrace! They are pathetic. These guys have been scamming naive foreign tourists for almost 2 decades! 2 DECADES! And now according to the news "they think" there could a gang of Chinese scam artists because several of other fake monks have been seen. REALLY????

It makes sense they are acting now. These scams target tourists. Japan is starting to rely on tourism more and more with the declining population. Japan has always had a good name for itself when it comes to safety. So now this information is getting out more and more, they now act.

Lol - yes, they are annoying and they use an element of surprise on some people. I think I got to annoy one back at at Sensoji by telling my group to ignore the scam (loudly) a couple of weeks back and the "monk" couldn't try to fleece them. The flithy look I received was quite satisfying.