Japanese police say an increasing number of children are becoming victims of crimes committed by people they get to know by playing online games.



The National Police Agency has confirmed that 1,486 minors under the age of 18 became crime victims as a result of using social media during 2024.



Of that total, online gaming was to blame in the case of 98 children, an increase of 9 from 2023. Fifty-six of them, or over half, were junior high school students, 22 were at elementary school, and 18 were in high school.



The police agency points out that online games allow anonymous participants to easily have voice chats or exchange text messages.
The agency says the friendships that children may develop with people they play games with, or the admiration they feel for gamers with advanced skills, can be exploited by potential criminals.



In January, a 17-year-old high school student went overseas for a job after being encouraged to do so by someone he met through online gaming. He ended up working for a telephone fraud group operating in Myanmar.



The police agency advises activating parental controls on children's social media accounts.



It says parents should warn their children about the danger of sharing contact information with strangers on gaming sites.