Can AI Catch Scammers? Japan Enlists Virtual Police Chief To Tackle Financial Fraud

Published 29 June 2026 · tech

Can AI Catch Scammers? Japan Enlists Virtual Police Chief To Tackle Financial Fraud Published By, Last Updated: June 29, 2026, 19:23 IST Japan’s AI police

Can AI Catch Scammers? Japan Enlists Virtual Police Chief To Tackle Financial Fraud Published By, Last Updated: June 29, 2026, 19:23 IST Japan’s AI police chief AIko joins Osaka Prefectural Police on YouTube, teaching viewers how to spot imposter scams and protect against rising online fraud. Rapid Read Japan's AI police chief, Alko (Image: X) As artificial intelligence (AI) gradually becomes part of our life, Japan has enlisted an AI police chief to fight against sophisticated scams. The artificial intelligence avatar, named as AIko, has been introduced by Osaka Prefectural Police as part of a campaign to battle against increasingly sophisticated scams that have targeted people of all ages. According to a report by The Independent, the police chief appears on YouTube with the face and voice of a young woman, warning the public that anyone claiming to be an officer over a video call is almost certainly trying to deceive them.

NEW – Japan introduces “AIko," a virtual AI police chief to Osaka Prefecture, to raise public awareness of imposter scams, especially among younger generations — JT pic.twitter.com/F1auULCdVH— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) June 29, 2026 AIko, whose name is an abbreviation of artificial intelligence and “ko", which is a common suffix in Japanese female names. The police chief made her first appearance in late May on the prefectural police’s YouTube channel. The brain behind AIko is Toshinori Hirano, a visiting professor at Kagawa University’s Cyber Security Centre, who previously worked with Osaka police before developing the virtual character. In the videos on YouTube, AIko explains ways fraudsters manipulate victims and the warning signs people should recognise. The Independent quoted her saying in one of the videos of “Chief AIko’s Crime Prevention Class", “No police officers show their IDs and arrest warrants online." This move comes as the country struggles to curb fraud cases.

According to The Independent, victims have lost more than $2bn last year, driven by investment scams, romance frauds, and criminals impersonating police officers, celebrities and other trusted figures. As per initial police data, people aged 64 and under constitute half of all scam victims in Osaka last year. The Independent quoted police saying that the aim with having an AI police chief is that the virtual officer will resonate with younger audiences who are less likely to engage with traditional public awareness campaigns but are increasingly vulnerable to scams carried out through social media and messaging platforms. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location: Tokyo, Japan First Published: June 29, 2026, 19:23 IST News world Can AI Catch Scammers?