OSAKA - A virtual AI police chief has been introduced in Osaka Prefecture, western Japan, following a rise in imposter scams, with local police hoping that "AIko" will raise public awareness of such fraud, especially among younger generations.

AIko, whose name combines "AI" and "ko," the Japanese suffix attached to female names, has the voice and appearance of a young woman. She is warning through the prefectural police's YouTube channel about scams spreading among not only the elderly population, but also people in their 20s to 60s.