Japanese priest counsels elderly scam victims

This photo taken on September 5, 2023 shows chief Buddhist priest Eiichi Shinohara looking at diaries of a woman who was swindled out of millions of yen, during an interview with AFP at his temple near the city of Narita, Chiba prefecture. Shinohara coordinates a network of about 50 fellow Buddhist monks who offer counselling to those who have fallen into deep despair, including after being scammed. — AFP

NARITA, Japan: In a serene temple in the countryside near Tokyo, the sound of a priest’s mobile phone breaks the silence.

On the other end of the line: a woman in her 70s who says she was swindled out of tens of millions of yen (tens of thousands of dollars), becoming the latest elderly victim of fraud in ageing Japan.