Kumamoto anti-violence counseling center warned of possible data leak

The Kumamoto Prefecture Anti-Violence Movement Promotion Center, a Japanese body that offers free and confidential counseling to people threatened by yakuza organized crime groups or trying to leave them, disclosed on November 21, 2024 that personal information it held may have been exposed.

A staff member's work computer displayed a pop-up message claiming the machine had been disabled and instructing him to call a support number. Following those instructions handed remote access to criminals running a technical support scam. The employee recognized the deception, disconnected the computer from the network and shut it down. Investigators could not establish whether any data had actually been viewed or copied.

The center said it could not rule out that personal data had leaked. The Register reported that around 2,500 people who had contacted the service were potentially affected, and that the records held names, addresses and telephone numbers. Because people who approach the center are often at risk of retaliation, the exposure carried a physical safety risk rather than a purely financial one.

The center published a notice and an apology, began contacting people who might be affected, and warned the public to disregard unsolicited emails or telephone calls claiming to come from its staff. It said it would strengthen its security measures.