Yakuza Offended by Amateur Gangsters

Japan Today

A big story going around mass media in Japan is the rise in yamibaito (literally “dark part-time jobs”). This is when an anonymous employer advertises on social media or elsewhere online, offering temptingly high pay for a one-time job. However, it isn’t until people respond that they learn the “job” involves committing robbery or fraud.

If they refuse, they then face threats from the employers which sometimes pressures them into going through with the crime against their better judgment. It’s been appearing in news reports for a few years now, originally involving smash-and-grab style thefts or heists of Pokemon cards but more recently involving things such as violent home invasions.

Police across the nation have been stepping up efforts to combat yamibaito and are putting out awareness-raising campaigns to teach people the signs that they might be getting roped into illegal activity before it’s too late. More