Individual Number  An , also known as , is a 12-digit ID number issued to all citizens and residents of Japan (including foreign residents in Japan) used for taxation, social security and disaster response purposes. The numbers were first issued in late 2015. There are pros and cons regarding efficiency when using both Basic Resident Registers Network and . To advertise the system's introduction the Japanese government employed actress Aya Ueto and created a mascot character name "Maina-chan". The first fraud related to the system occurred when an elderly woman in the Kantō region was defrauded of several million yen.