Getting a little more high tech...

Until quite recently we have mostly seen low tech hacks in Japan.
Things like knocking over ATMs physically with a crane or social engineering through the telephone are still by far the most dangerous and prominent attacks in Japan.
It's so bad that when I attended a seminar a couple months ago of probably the most famous computer forensic company in Japan, the lecturer was even complaining about how pathetic and low tech the criminals are here and that he wished they would wise up and do more high tech crimes so that their work was actually interesting.

However, as anyone could have predicted, things are starting to change and bad guys are realizing that there is a whole world of potential for online theft just sitting there waiting for them.

January 29, 2009 was the first time in Japan that anyone has been caught for physically breaking into a private house to install malware. (Yes, your mailbox is actually NOT a good place to put the key to your house.) The intruder installed a backdoor/keylogger in which he used it to steal personal information and transfer about 9,000,000 yen (About $98,000USD) to fictional bank accounts that he created with passports, etc... stolen from people's houses.
This guy was apparently not too sneaky as he has been arrested 3 times for fraud. Hopefully this will be his last.

I am sure we will see more of this to come.

Source:
Slashdot.jp