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'Grandpa and Grandma Turn Young Again' Anime Warns Against Phone Scams in New Video

For about the past 20 years, elderly folk in Japan have been the targets of the “ore ore” (literally, "It's me") phone scam. The scam involves a person calling an elderly person claiming to be their son and asking for money. Over the years the scams have become a bit more intricate, with cases where scammers pose as police officers or staff from the target's bank. It's a very real issue, and one Japanese police have been combating with ad campaigns. Now adding to the long list of ads is a short by the anime series Grandpa and Grandma Turn Young Again.

The Grandpa and Grandma Turn Young Again anime's X (formerly Twitter) account posted about the short on May 28. In the tweet, the account notes the short was made in conjunction with the Aomori Prefecture Police, provided a phone number to the department's scam consultation hotline, and linked to the short on the Kadokawa Anime YouTube channel.

The short features Grandpa and Grandma Turn Young Again character Ine Saito answering a phone call from a person who clearly isn't her son. From there, the short shows the general modus operandi of the “It's me” phone scam and what you should do if you suspect it is. However, rather than being scammed, Ine tells the man (roughly translated), “I can't be your real mother, but if you're ever in a hard spot, feel free to call me.”

Of course, there are other methods to help prevent the elderly from falling victim to the phone scams not mentioned in the Grandpa and Grandma Turn Young Again short. One of the easiest methods is calling your parents on a regular basis. While once a day may be much, this writer suggests once-a-week. If the scam involves the scammer posing as a police officer or banker, calling the police department or your bank directly for confirmation will also prevent the scam. And if the person asks for your bank book, never give it to them.

Sources: Email correspondence, Grandpa and Grandma Turn Young Again anime's X/Twitter account, Kadokawa Anime YouTube channel