Japan Warns Shoppers as Cash on Delivery Complaints Reach Record 14,013

Record complaints expose the risks of paying at the door

Japan's National Consumer Affairs Center handled a record 14,013 inquiries and consultations about cash on delivery problems in fiscal 2024, which ended in March 2025. By the end of June 2025, it had logged another 4,498 cases, about three times the number recorded during the same period a year earlier.

About two thirds of the complaints, roughly 66 percent, began with online advertisements that directed shoppers to dubious shopping websites. Customers ordered what appeared to be attractive deals, then paid at the door and discovered counterfeit goods, inferior products or something different from what they had bought. Other recipients were asked to pay for parcels they had never ordered.

Cash on delivery, often shortened to COD, appeals to people who do not want to enter credit card details online. The customer pays the carrier when the parcel arrives. That familiar arrangement can feel reassuring, yet scammers can use it to collect money before a buyer discovers a problem with the contents.

The warning, current as of September 5, 2025, comes amid other shopping and delivery fraud concerns. Consumer affairs centers recorded 335 complaints about fraudulent rice websites in April and May alone, matching the total for all of fiscal 2024. Phishing messages, which imitate trusted businesses to steal information, have also surged in recent years, while credit card fraud losses have reached record levels.

For shoppers, the immediate challenge is practical: deciding whether to pay while a driver waits, then trying to recover the money if the seller cannot be reached. The center warns that replacement or compensation can become difficult when the transaction involves several businesses, including a seller, marketplace and delivery company.

How an ordinary delivery becomes a scam

A legitimate COD delivery in Japan follows a familiar routine. A carrier may call ahead to check that someone is home and confirm the amount due. At the door, the driver collects payment and hands over the parcel. When the recipient is absent, the carrier leaves a notice so delivery can be rescheduled or the package collected.

Scammers exploit that routine in two main ways. The first begins with an advertisement on social media or a video platform, often showing brand name products at steep discounts. The advertisement leads to a website with polished images and convincing checkout pages. A shopper chooses COD to avoid sharing card details, but receives counterfeit or lower quality goods.

The second involves an unsolicited parcel. A package arrives addressed to someone who did not order it, with a payment demand attached. Some parcels come from overseas with little or no sender information. Recipients may struggle to check who sent them or find a business responsible for a return.

Brand impersonation makes the demand more convincing. A parcel may carry the name of a major shopping platform, encouraging someone who is already expecting an order to pay without checking. Retailers advise customers to compare the delivery with the purchases shown in their account history.

The difficulties often continue after payment. A seller's customer service number may stay busy, its address may be impossible to trace, or the delivery company may lack clear information about where the parcel was sent from. With several businesses involved, the route to a refund can become unclear.

The purchases behind the complaints

A woman in her forties clicked an advertisement for luxury leather sneakers discounted to around 30,000 yen and placed a COD order. When she opened the box, she found artificial leather fakes. She contacted the consumer affairs center for help seeking a refund.

A man in his fifties ordered a lantern advertised as golden, but received a black lantern. The invoice named a replacement center, yet its telephone line was always busy. The delivery company told him it did not know the address from which the parcel had been sent. He asked authorities for assistance.

Earlier warnings from Japan's consumer agency described another common problem: a family member paying for an unexpected COD parcel while the person named on it was away. In one case, the package contained a cheap trinket. The payment had already been made before the household realized what had happened.

An account shared online described a uniformed driver presenting an Amazon labeled package with a COD charge of 26,000 yen. The resident checked their order history, found no matching purchase and refused to pay. The driver canceled the delivery on the spot.

The cases show why checking the order matters before money changes hands. A recognized brand name on a label, an expected delivery or an impressive advertisement can make a demand appear credible. The purchase record and the identity of the seller give the recipient something concrete to check.

What consumer authorities say about unexpected parcels

The National Consumer Affairs Center advises recipients to refuse products they did not order. Its advisory states:

If you receive a product you did not order, do not accept it. Even if you accept it, you do not need to pay for it.

A recipient faced with an unsolicited COD package should tell the carrier to return it. Household members also need to check whether the person named on the parcel actually placed an order before paying on that person's behalf.

For purchases prompted by suspicious advertisements, an NCAC representative gives a direct warning:

If you feel something fishy, even just a little bit, do not order it.

Consumer authorities also caution against rushing to return unknown packets from overseas. An unnecessary return can create new costs or expose more personal information. People who have already paid by mistake should contact the seller and delivery company immediately, preserve the packaging and seek consumer advice.

Why cash on delivery still feels reassuring

Cashless payments now account for more than 40 percent of consumer spending in Japan, but cash habits remain strong. Some shoppers prefer paying only when a parcel is physically in front of them. Others worry about credit card fraud, want to limit the financial information they share online or have limited access to credit.

Small retailers and marketplaces continue to offer COD alongside credit cards, bank transfers, mobile wallets and buy now pay later services. Japan's online commerce is growing, supported by more payment choices and better fraud controls, while COD remains a straightforward option for many customers.

The risk arises at the point of payment. A parcel can be present while its contents are still unknown. Paying the driver may happen before the buyer can inspect the product or verify that the seller is genuine. If the seller disappears or the marketplace denies involvement, recovering the money can be difficult.

The consumer center highlights the number of businesses involved and the uncertainty over who is responsible. The delivery company may lack enough sender information to support a return. Customers who paid cash also often have fewer ways to challenge a transaction than customers who paid with a credit card.

Some credit cards and wallets offer dispute procedures when goods are not as described. A credit card chargeback is a process through which a customer asks the card issuer to challenge a payment. Shoppers should check the protection offered by their chosen payment method, since the route to compensation matters as much as the convenience of paying.

Amazon's policy and the checks shoppers can make

Amazon's customer service guidance gives a specific instruction about parcels carrying its name:

Cash on delivery is not available on Amazon. If your Amazon package arrives with cash on delivery, please refuse to accept it.

A shopper unsure about a delivery should open the retailer's official application or website directly and check the order history. Most major services also have a message center showing genuine communications about the account. A message claiming to come from a retailer should be treated as suspicious if it does not appear there.

Email and text message links can send recipients to fake pages. Checking through an official application or a bookmarked website lets customers compare the demand with their actual account activity without following the link in the message.

Anyone who entered personal or payment information on a spoofed website should change their passwords, enable two step verification and contact their bank or card issuer immediately. Two step verification adds another check when signing in and helps reduce the risk of someone taking over shopping or email accounts.

Checks to make before ordering

A seller's identity deserves attention before checkout, especially when an advertisement promises a price far below the usual market level. Counterfeit goods and schemes that substitute a different product often rely on large discounts to attract buyers.

Consumer protection advice focuses on checking the business and keeping records that can support a later complaint:

• Look for a proper company address, telephone number and return policy. Avoid websites whose only contact route is a web form or messaging application.
• Check product details through the official brand website or an authorized retailer before ordering.
• Be cautious about advertisements on social media and video platforms, particularly those offering unusually low prices.
• Save screenshots of the final checkout and confirmation pages, along with the order confirmation and the advertisement that led to the purchase.
• Choose a payment method with dispute protection where available, such as a credit card or a wallet that supports complaints about goods not matching their description.
• Enable two step verification on shopping and email accounts.

Those records become useful if the product differs from the advertisement or the seller stops responding. They preserve what was offered, the payment requested and the business details shown when the order was placed.

Customs bills and fake delivery fees

Some unexpected shipping charges are genuine. Logistics companies sometimes pay duties or import taxes in advance and later bill the recipient. A shopper may be surprised if the seller did not explain those costs clearly at checkout.

For many purchases from abroad, that bill usually arrives as a separate invoice and relates to a known order. Someone receiving a demand should check the sender, invoice details and purchase record. An unexplained doorstep payment request for an unfamiliar product needs checking before payment.

Scam demands often combine pressure to act quickly with unclear information. Vague references to reshipping fees, warehouse charges or customs clearance fees deserve caution when the sender cannot be identified. A genuine seller should be traceable, and the requested charge should match an order the recipient recognizes.

Recipients can ask the driver to identify the sender and show invoice details. For an unsolicited COD parcel, the advice remains to refuse delivery and check the retailer's official website or application.

Fake delivery notifications present another route to fraud. Messages imitate carriers and ask people to follow a link to pay a fee or rearrange delivery. Victims have entered bank or card information into convincing copies of official websites. Delivery status and fees should instead be checked through the courier's official application or a bookmarked website.

What to do after paying

A customer who has already paid should act quickly and document the delivery. Keep the parcel, its packaging, the receipt and the carrier's delivery slip. Photograph the box, labels and contents so there is a record of what arrived.

Contact the seller using the details on its official website and tell the delivery company that fraud is suspected. Ask the carrier about its investigation process and whether a return to the sender is possible. Someone who paid by credit card or wallet should also ask the issuer or provider about dispute options.

Japan's nationwide consumer advice hotline is 188. It connects people seeking help with their local consumer affairs center. The police consultation desk can be reached at #9110 for suspected criminal fraud or urgent consultation.

Save the advertisement, website address and message screenshots connected with the order, alongside the checkout records. These details can help investigators trace the seller and support a civil or criminal complaint. An unclear sender address or an unanswered telephone line makes that documentation especially useful.

A wider rise in shopping and delivery fraud

Fraudulent rice websites generated 335 complaints in April and May 2025, the same number recorded throughout fiscal 2024. In two months, the tally had reached the previous fiscal year's total. Officials advise checking whether shopping websites are reliable and saving the final confirmation screen for use in disputes.

Phishing has also grown sharply in recent years. Hundreds of thousands of suspicious messages have been reported, with reports exceeding half a million in one recent year. Credit card fraud losses have reached record levels measured in tens of billions of yen. The account gives no specific year for those phishing and card loss figures.

Attackers impersonate banks, mobile carriers and delivery services, often using alarming messages to push recipients toward fake websites. Some copies look close to the real thing and are difficult to assess on a telephone screen. Going directly to an official application or bookmarked website gives the customer a way to verify the message.

The developments tracked by consumer authorities include:

• Fiscal 2024, ending in March 2025: a record 14,013 COD inquiries and consultations, alongside 335 complaints about fraudulent rice websites.
• April and May 2025: another 335 complaints about scam rice websites, matching the previous fiscal year's total.
• By the end of June 2025: 4,498 COD cases, about three times the number in the same period a year earlier.

Shopping advertisements, parcel labels and delivery messages all bring fraud attempts into ordinary routines. The practical response is to check the seller before ordering, match a parcel to a real purchase before paying and preserve records when something goes wrong.

Key Points

• Japan's National Consumer Affairs Center recorded 14,013 COD inquiries and consultations in fiscal 2024 and 4,498 by the end of June 2025.
• About two thirds of the complaints began with online advertisements leading to dubious shopping websites.
• Common problems include counterfeit or different goods and demands to pay for unsolicited parcels.
• Several businesses may be involved, making refunds, replacement and compensation difficult to obtain.
• Consumer authorities advise refusing unordered products and say recipients do not need to pay for them even if they accept them.
• Amazon says it does not offer COD and advises refusing Amazon labeled parcels demanding payment on delivery.
• Check orders and delivery notices through official applications or websites rather than links in messages.
• Keep packaging, receipts, photographs, advertisements and checkout records after a suspected scam.
• Call 188 for consumer advice or #9110 for police consultation about suspected fraud.