“Legitimate police officers do not display their identification cards or arrest warrants online.” That is the line AIko delivers in one of her videos, and it sums up her job.
AIko is a virtual police chief, introduced by police in Osaka Prefecture, western Japan, to warn the public about fraud. She appears as a young woman. Her name joins “AI” to “ko,” a common ending for Japanese women’s names. Kyodo reported the launch, and Qazinform News Agency carried it.
She first appeared in a video released in late May on the Osaka Prefectural Police YouTube channel. The video uses real online conversations between scammers and victims to show how the tricks work.
Police say fraudsters pose as police officers, as celebrities pushing investments, or as romantic partners. Older people are still frequent targets. But victims now include people in their 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s and early 60s.
Preliminary police data show nearly half of all fraud victims in the prefecture last year were 64 or younger. The campaign is aimed at those younger groups in particular.
Toshinori Hirano, a visiting professor at the Cyber Security Center of Kagawa University, helped develop the character. He has worked with Osaka police for a long time. He said the aim is to strengthen public awareness of fraud prevention through modern technology.
