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Kanazawa hostess among victims swindled for 30 million yen by con man

The Katamachi entertainment area of Kanazawa
The Katamachi entertainment area of Kanazawa
TOKYO (TR) – Ishikawa Prefectural Police announced on February 27 the arrest of a con man for allegedly defrauding a 20-year-old hostess from Kanazawa City in a fictitious investment scheme last year, reports Sports Nippon (Feb. 27).

Officers from the Kanazawa Naka Police Station took Hiroki Yamamoto, 27, a resident of Hakusan City, into custody in January on fraud charges. He allegedly collected more than 30 million yen from more than 10 victims in a stock-picking investment scam.

According to police, Yamamoto came to the club of the hostess dressed in a sporty white suit while wearing various brand goods, including a wristwatch manufactured by a famous Swiss company, to convey an image of high financial standing.

Each of the victims contributed between two million and three million yen to the scam, police said. “I can predict rises and falls in stock prices. So money invested with me will increase in value,” he is alleged to have said on three occasions in late October to the hostess, who invested 2.3 million.

Yamamoto was indicted on February 15. Investigators are expected slap fresh charges onto the suspect as they have received complaints from the other victims.