Eight men linked to a Tokyo remodeling company were arrested over a sales scheme that allegedly pressured thousands of mostly elderly homeowners into paying for unnecessary gas water heater replacements, police said.
The victims were falsely told that their existing units posed fire or carbon monoxide risks, investigators said.
Police said Taian Setsubi Co. approached about 5,900 people across 19 prefectures over roughly a year from January 2025 and collected about 850 million yen ($5.37 million) from customers who signed contracts.
About 90 percent of the customers whose ages could be confirmed through seized contract documents were 70 or older, with an average age of 81. One customer was 103, police said.
The Metropolitan Police Department said Oct. 9 it had arrested Hideki Nukanobu, 36, along with the company’s sales manager and sales representatives in their 20s to 40s.
They are accused of committing fraud and violating the Specified Commercial Transactions Law by making false claims during door-to-door sales visits.
Taian Setsubi was also referred to prosecutors on suspicion of violating the law.
Investigators said the eight suspects conspired between March and September 2025 to visit the homes of four residents in their 70s and 80s in Tokyo, Kyoto Prefecture and Hiroshima Prefecture.
After “inspecting” gas water heaters in the homes, the perpetrators falsely warned that carbon monoxide levels far exceeded safety standards and that the units could cause fires, police said.
The homeowners were persuaded to sign unnecessary replacement contracts worth about 990,000 yen in total.
One homeowner later became suspicious and canceled the contract.
Victims told investigators they immediately signed the contracts because they panicked and feared causing trouble for their neighbors.
Police said Nukanobu previously headed One & One, a remodeling company ordered by the Tokyo metropolitan government to suspend operations for six months in August 2025 over illegal door-to-door sales practices.
Investigators believe that after the administrative penalty was imposed, One & One transferred employees to Taian Setsubi to continue shady sales activities.
Similar “inspection scams” have drawn increasing scrutiny nationwide.
According to the National Police Agency, investigators uncovered 83 cases involving dishonest remodeling contractors in 2025, up 17 from a year earlier.
Many targeted elderly homeowners with false claims that roofs, water pipes and other parts of their homes needed urgent repairs.
The National Consumer Affairs Center advises consumers to be wary of unsolicited inspection offers and to compare estimates from multiple companies before signing repair contracts.
AloJapan.com