Osaka Prefecture enacts first nationwide ordinance banning elderly people from making phone calls while operating ATMs

To combat the increasing issue of scams, Osaka Prefecture implemented revised regulations on August 1st, which include restricting mobile phone use at ATMs. This initiative is the first of its kind in Japan and prohibits people aged 65 and older from using their phones while operating an ATM.

At a credit union in Hirakata City, Osaka, posters were displayed to inform visitors of the new rules once it opened at 9 AM. The changes in the “Osaka Prefecture Safe City Development Ordinance” require banks to put up posters to spread awareness and prohibit older individuals from phone use when at ATMs.

As of the end of May, Osaka had reported over 1,300 cases of special fraud, with damages totaling around 4 billion yen, marking a record-high pace. The prevalent scheme involves impersonating municipal workers to deceive seniors into thinking they will receive medical expense refunds and instructing them to transfer money via ATM, known as “refund fraud.”

While there are no penalties for violating this ordinance, its effectiveness in reducing the rising fraud cases is being closely watched.