TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a married man who is accused of swindling a woman out of more than 1 million yen by posing as an airline pilot on a dating app and promising marriage.
The arrest is the second for Katsunori Yoshizawa, who was arrested earlier this year for the same crime with a second woman, reports the Mainichi Shimbun (June 11).
In the latest case, Yoshizawa falsely claimed the victim, aged in her 30s and living in the capital, that he was a pilot. Under the illusion that they were engaged, the woman handed over a total of 1.4 million yen between last December and February.
Yoshizawa falsely claimed the funds would be used to pay for a wedding venue deposit and a down payment on a new home.
Upon questioning on suspicion of fraud, Yoshizawa admitted to the allegations.
Booked wedding venue
According to the Tamagawa Police Station, the two met through a dating app last Octobe and began living together at the woman’s home the following month. They had introduced each other to the woman’s parents with the intention of marriage. They had planned to hold their wedding this past April at a booked venue.
To make his elaborate lie believable, Yoshizawa showed the victim a specialized flight case typically used by aviators.
He also used flight attendant stamps on the chat app Line. The woman received messages such as “I’ve arrived [at my destination]” and photos of airplanes.
The crime came to light in February while police were investigating the suspect for a separate, nearly identical romance scam involving the second woman, for which he has already been arrested and indicted.
It was later discovered that he was dating the latest victim, who reported the crime to the police in May.
Yoshizawa is married, but his relationship with his wife has broken down, police said.
