A major fraud scheme disguising itself as a medical information platform for rare childhood diseases has been uncovered in Japan.
The scam, known as 'Children's Rare Disease Navigator,' falsely claimed to provide medical data to hospitals while defrauding Oita Prefecture and investment firms out of 45 million yen.
The Oita District Court sentenced 51-year-old Nobuaki Kimoto, an executive of the fraudulent company, to four years in prison.
Another executive, Hayato Mouri, 40, received a three-year suspended sentence with five years of probation.
The judge highlighted the elaborate and malicious nature of the scheme, noting the significant financial damage it caused.
Mouri was granted a suspended sentence due to his lesser role in the crime, as he acted under Kimoto’s direction.
Both defendants admitted to the charges.
This case underscores growing concerns over fraudulent medical schemes exploiting vulnerable populations.