OSAKA: An Osaka Regional Taxation Bureau employee has leaked personal information on almost 260 individual and corporate taxpayers after being duped by callers impersonating police officers, the bureau said.
The bureau announced on April 15 that the employee, who is in their 20s, leaked personal information, including phone numbers and tax payment data for 259 individuals and corporations handled by 11 regional taxation bureaus and offices nationwide.
The bureau apologised to those affected and warned them to be vigilant against any problems resulting from the leak.
It also filed a report with the police, and no resultant problems had been confirmed as of April 15.
On April 13, the employee received a call on the employee’s personal smartphone at work from an individual identifying himself as an official of the Chiba Prefectural Police.
The caller identified the employee by their full name and said, “You are also under suspicion.”
The person then showed what appeared to be a police ID on a video call and handed the phone over to a person claiming to be a detective from the second investigation division.
Following the instructions, the employee used a work computer to access various personal and corporate records and took 108 screenshots, which were then sent via the Line app from a private smartphone. - The Japan News/ANN
