Before you send any money, check three things yourself: that the company is registered in Japan, that you are really talking to that company, and that the bank account you are paying belongs to the company, in Japan. Free Japanese government websites let you do the first check in a few minutes, and the rest takes a phone call.
Key takeaways
- Look the exporter up by its 13-digit corporate number on the National Tax Agency site and on gBizINFO. The name and address must match what the seller tells you.
- A real company name is not enough. Fake sellers copy real names, so check the email domain, the website and the bank account too.
- Pay only by bank transfer to an account in Japan in the company’s own name. Never pay an individual.
- If the bank details suddenly change, stop and confirm by phone using a number from the official website.
- If you think you have been scammed, stop all payments and call your bank straight away, then report to the police.
1. Look the company up on the Corporate Number site
Every company registered in Japan has a 13-digit corporate number, and anyone can look it up for free.
The National Tax Agency Corporate Number Publication Site shows the registered company name and head-office address. Ask the seller for its corporate number and full company name before you pay. A genuine exporter will give them without any problem.
How to do it:
- Open the English site and type the 13-digit number into the search box. Searching by number is more reliable than searching by name.
- Many Japanese companies have not registered an English version, so the English page may say “No registration in English”.
- If that happens, switch to the Japanese version of the page (link at the top). It shows the name and address in Japanese. Your phone’s browser can translate the page.
- Compare the name and address with what the seller has told you and with the address on its website.
Worked example: Autocom Japan. Our corporate number is 1020001052483. On the Japanese page you will see the name オートコムジャパン株式会社 (Autocom Japan Inc.) and the head-office address 神奈川県横浜市中区本町２丁目１４番地. That is 2-14 Hon-cho, Naka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, the same address as our head office in the Daidoseimei Yokohama Building, 6th floor.
If a seller cannot or will not give you a corporate number, or the number shows a different name or address, do not pay.
2. Cross-check on gBizINFO
gBizINFO is a second government source, run by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), that shows company profiles by corporate number.
Go to gBizINFO, type the 13-digit number in the search box and open the result. The site is in Japanese, so use your browser’s translate function. Check the name and head-office address again. Where the company has provided it, the profile also shows its official website. For Autocom, that is corporate.autocj.co.jp.
If the website on gBizINFO is different from the one the seller sent you, ask why before going any further.
Once you have checked us, you can browse Autocom Japan’s current stock on our official website.
3. Check that the address is real
A registered address should be a real building you can find on a map.
Put the address into Google Maps and look at Street View. An office building, yard or showroom is normal. An empty field, a house or an address that does not exist is a warning sign. Yards and branches may be at other addresses, but the company name should still match.
4. Check the email domain
Real staff write from the company’s own domain, not from free email accounts.
At Autocom, every staff email ends with @autocj.co.jp. Be careful with addresses that look almost right: an extra word, a hyphen, a missing letter or a different ending. Messages from free email services that claim to be from a large exporter are a warning sign.
Type website addresses yourself instead of clicking links in messages. See our official channels and how to spot impersonators for the full list of Autocom’s real website, email and phone contacts.
5. Pay only to the company’s own account in Japan
A Japanese exporter’s bank account should be in Japan and in the company’s name, never in a person’s name.
Japan’s Consumer Affairs Agency warns people to be careful when asked to pay into an individual’s account, because businesses normally use company accounts. If the beneficiary on your invoice is a person, or the bank is in another country, stop.
For Autocom, all our bank accounts are in Japan and the beneficiary is always “Autocom Japan Inc”. The only official list is on our bank account page. We do not use payment services such as Western Union.
For more warning signs, read how to avoid scams when buying cars from Japan.
6. Confirm any bank-detail change by phone
A sudden change of bank account is one of the most common tricks, so treat it as a warning until you have confirmed it.
Fraudsters sometimes break into email accounts and send a “new” invoice with different bank details. Japan’s information security agency (IPA) advises confirming any change of bank account or payment method through a different channel, such as a phone call.
Call the company using a number from its official website, not the number in the email or chat that asked for the change. Ask them to confirm the account name and number before you pay.
7. Do not let anyone rush you
Pressure to pay immediately is a warning sign on its own.
Fake sellers often say another buyer is waiting or the price is valid only today. A genuine exporter will understand that you want to check the company first. If someone gets pushy when you ask questions, walk away.
Promises of free cars, cash or prizes are another pressure trick. See our scam alert.
8. Use local offices the right way
A local office is a good place to ask questions and check documents, but it should never collect money.
If an exporter says it has an office in your country, find the address and phone number on its official website and contact that office directly. Autocom has local offices in Mombasa, Nairobi, Dar es Salaam and Harare. Our local offices and agents do not accept cash or any payment, and staff may not make transfers on your behalf.
If anyone at a “local office” asks you for cash, or offers to pay Japan for you, do not hand over money.
For other things to look at, such as reviews and documents, see how to find a reliable Japanese car exporter.
What Japanese embassies advise
Several Embassies of Japan publish warnings about fraud in used-car purchases. Their advice is similar:
- Check that the exporter really exists and is currently operating before you send money. Do your own checks.
- Do not pay until the seller has been verified. Money sent to fraudsters is usually not recoverable.
- The embassy cannot step in to settle private disputes between buyers and sellers.
- If you have been defrauded, report it to your local police.
Read the full warnings from the Embassy of Japan in Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia and Jamaica.
What to do if you think you have been scammed
Act quickly. The sooner your bank knows, the better the chance of stopping or tracing the money.
- Stop all further payments. Do not send “release fees”, “customs fees” or “insurance” to get the car or your money back.
- Contact your bank immediately. Give them the transfer details and ask whether the payment can be stopped or recalled.
- Report it to your local police. Bring the invoice, bank receipts, screenshots of chats, email addresses and phone numbers.
- Report the fake account to the platform where you met the seller (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp or a website host).
- If someone used Autocom’s name, tell us through a number on our official website so we can warn other buyers.
Be careful of people who contact you afterwards offering to “recover” your money for a fee. This is often a second scam.
Frequently asked questions
Is a company registration enough to prove a seller is genuine?
No. It proves the company exists, not that the person messaging you works there. Fake sellers often use the names of real companies, so also check the email domain, website and bank account.
The seller sent me new bank details. What should I do?
Do not pay yet. Call the company on a number from its official website and confirm the new details. For Autocom, check against our official bank account page.
Can I pay the local office in cash to save time?
Not with Autocom. Our local offices and agents do not accept cash or any payment. All payments go by bank transfer to Autocom Japan Inc’s accounts in Japan.
How can I tell if a WhatsApp number really belongs to Autocom?
Compare it with the office numbers on our official website. If you are unsure, message one of those official numbers and ask before sending any money.
Sources
- National Tax Agency Japan: Corporate Number Publication Site (checked 1 Oct 2026)
- Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry: gBizINFO (checked 1 Oct 2026)
- Consumer Affairs Agency: consumer warning (Japanese) (4 Aug 2026)
- IPA: measures against business email compromise (Japanese) (checked 1 Oct 2026)
- Embassy of Japan in Kenya: Second-hand vehicles
- Embassy of Japan in Tanzania: Caution on used vehicles
- Embassy of Japan in Zambia: Car selling
- Embassy of Japan in Jamaica: used car fraud warning (16 Dec 2025)
- Autocom Japan: Attention, fraud warning (checked 1 Oct 2026)
