 In 2005, an article in The Japan Times reported that the perpetrators deposited the coins in an account using an ATM, the money was then withdrawn in the form of banknotes.The coins involved were made up of the same alloy as genuine coins but the percentage of the alloys used were different.By 2012, the counterfeit coins used were described as "extremely well crafted", again the perpetrators in another unrelated incident had used the fake 500 yen coins in ATM deposits.