What is yami-baito? How to spot it, and where to get help

This page is about Japan. "Yami-baito" (闇バイト, literally "dark part-time job") is a fake "part-time job" ad used to recruit people to commit crimes. The ad does not say clearly what the work is, shows a surprisingly high amount of money, and invites people through social media and message boards. People who apply end up taking part in robberies and fraud, and many have been arrested. Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare urges people to never get involved.

How to spot it

Even if it looks like an ordinary part-time job, it may be yami-baito if it matches both of the following.

On social media such as X (formerly Twitter), it stresses "high pay", "paid the same day", "clean job", or "easy, simple, high income".
You are moved to an app that is hard to trace, such as Signal or Telegram, made to send personal information, and then threatened.

In the series of robberies in the Tokyo area from August 2024 onward, the ads that suspects are thought to have answered often used words like these.

They stress a high amount, such as "high income" or "from 50,000 yen a day".
They stress getting paid right away: "paid the same day", "cash today", "we hand out money".
They say the job is just carrying or receiving people or things: "delivery work", "driver", "pick-ups", "carrying documents", "carrying packages".
They use words that make it sound legal and easy: "clean job", "white job", "easy".
They require being "available to work today" or "a regular driver's licence".

An ad that does not say what the job is counts as a big warning sign, too.

If you see a very high hourly wage, stop and think

If you cannot tell what the work is, but the hourly or daily pay is very high, do not take it as a good deal. Stop for a moment. This is why, when you enter 10,000 yen or more as the hourly wage on the front page of this site, a pop-up asks whether it is yami-baito. Ordinary jobs do not pay that much.

What happens if you apply?

You end up taking part in robbery, fraud and similar crimes. Many people have actually been arrested.
When you apply, you are made to send a photo of your face, your address and information about your family. Using that, they threaten you with things like "we will come to your home" or "we will hurt the people around you", and you cannot quit even if you want to.

If you have already applied

Even if you have already sent your photo or address, do not carry it alone.

Call the police consultation line, "#9110", or go to a police station near you. This is the same if you want to get out and cannot.
Each prefectural police headquarters also has a desk for young people.
If your life is at risk or you feel in danger, call 110 without hesitating.

If you find a recruitment post

If you find a post recruiting for yami-baito, you can report it to a police station or to the Internet Hotline Center, which works on commission from the National Police Agency.

If you are short of money

If you have no job, or cannot pay rent or taxes, you can talk to a consultation desk in your area. There is also a system that pays an amount equal to your rent for a set period, on condition that you receive job-seeking support (list of consultation desks, in Japanese).

What the law says

Article 63 of the Employment Security Act prohibits the following two things.

Putting out information about yami-baito that recruits people for crimes such as robbery and special fraud.
Using a person's or their family's personal information to threaten them, for example "we will come to your home" or "we will hurt the people around you", to recruit them for a criminal role.

A violation is punishable by imprisonment of one to ten years, or a fine of 200,000 to 3,000,000 yen. According to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, putting out information that recruits people for crimes violates this law at that point, even if the crime is never carried out.

Sources (in Japanese)

This is general information, not advice on your particular situation. If you are in trouble, please contact the offices above.