Source: Robert Gilhooly via Alamy Stock Photo

Japan's web of ruthless Yakuza organized crime syndicates continues to operate, threatening the country's citizens with everything from extortion to gangland murders. Local agencies within communities are set up to help those who get involved with gangsters — but unfortunately, one of them has been hacked, potentially leading to physical safety consequences for the victims.

The Kumamoto Prefecture Violence Prevention Movement Promotion Center said that 2,500 people who have used its counseling services (which aid with everything from evading extortion to disentangling romantically from Yakuza members) have been impacted by a data breach following a successful phishing effort.

"On November 15th, a center staff member was directed to a support fraud website while working and was illegally accessed," according to an "apology" notice on the agency's website (via Google Translate). "When the staff member noticed something was wrong, he immediately cut off the power and network connection of the computer terminal, but we cannot deny the possibility that data including personal information used in work may have been leaked."

That information could include addresses, phone numbers, and names: “If you receive a phone call or mail using the name or staff of the 'Violence Prevention Movement Promotion Center' at your address or workplace, please immediately report it … without responding to the request of the other party or opening the mail.”

Beyond follow-on phishing or fraud calls however, the information could be valuable for syndicates looking for those who have left "the life" or extortion victims who got away. The center is contacting those who may have been affected.