The New York Police Department has issued a warning about tax-related scams during the current tax season, emphasizing that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will never request payments via gift cards, cryptocurrency, or wire transfers. In Japan, financial scams are on the rise, with a new scam exploiting tax-related terminology to deceive victims. Authorities are urging the public to be vigilant and familiarize themselves with common scam tactics. Japanese customs reported a record high of over 33,000 cases of intellectual property infringement in 2024, with 80% of these counterfeit goods originating from China. The Tokyo Customs Office highlighted that about 730,000 items were seized, including fake Olympic gold medals and various other products.