Japanese woman suspected of requesting English exam score forgery 'wanted to work overseas'
The woman, a company worker from the central Japan city of Kanazawa, is accused of violating the counterfeiting of private documents law after allegedly seeking a faked certificate showing a high achievement on the Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC) exam. She works for a large firm and has reportedly admitted to the allegations, saying that she wished to work overseas at some point.
Two Chinese nationals, who are unemployed and live in Tokyo's Ota Ward, are alleged to have forged the certificate. The pair were previously charged with violating the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act, and they were sent to prosecutors again for alleged document forgery. The home building of both defendants allegedly contained data for approximately 10,000 forged documents, including the credentials of doctors and building lot traders, and the police are investigating the case within a scope of systematic forgery.
The woman allegedly conspired to forge one official certificate with a TOEIC score in the high 800s at both defendants' home building on April 7-8. The MPD has attached a "severe penalty" opinion for prosecution.
According to the MPD, the woman had previously scored in the high 800s on the 990-point TOEIC, but when she took the test in Tokyo this March, her score was in the 600s. Shortly afterward, she found a Japanese-language website that offered a certificate forgery service and requested a counterfeit certificate. She reportedly paid a total of 160,000 yen (about $1,085) on April 4 and 5 to the forgers.
Both defendants had been arrested and indicted on suspicion of forging residence cards for foreigners, which they are believed to have been instructed by another party to carry out. At least one counterfeit certificate found in a search of their home reportedly had the woman's name and photo printed on it.
In addition, data on forged documents such as financial planner level 1 qualification certificates and student ID cards were also found. Many of the documents were in Chinese names, but there were also 400-500 documents in Japanese names.
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