Nov 28, 2024 Salon
Guests:
K-san, M-san, J-san, A-san
Discussion Content:
K arrived with a few bags of vegetables. I asked why she brought them and she said she bought them at the “unmanned stand” at the Indian restaurant just next door. J said that such unmanned stands are feasible in Japan because everyone is very trustworthy and don’t steal the items.
I asked the group if I could take a photo and said I would cover their faces before uploading it to social media. I asked if they would prefer their faces covered by a blur or a smiley face, and they chose a smiley face.
J then told us about someone he heard of that was scammed by a Chinese dating app. This man has some cognitive issues (dementia) and was conned into making payments in order to see photos and get other information about women on the app. However, he was able to use an attorney in Japan to somehow get the money back, which is amazing, but he also had to pay the attorney a 35% commission.
Apparently, in Japan, if a person is diagnosed as having dementia, their bank account is immediately frozen by the government. Of course, this is for their benefit, to prevent them wasting their savings, but it can make it difficult for their family members.
Useful phrases:
unmanned
a lemonade stand
protected by
watched over by
blur/blurry
a scam
a fraud
He had his money stolen by a scammer
attorney
commission
24/7
Bank account is frozen
retrieve (get something back)
It's hard to imagine
In “cahoots” with the scammers
evidence/proof
solve a problem
blackmail
bribe