TOKYO (TR) – A post-pandemic surge in loneliness and social anxiety has swollen Japan’s fortunetelling market to a staggering 1-trillion-yen industry. But behind this “Reiwa-era fortune-telling boom,” malicious operators are increasingly weaponizing Artificial Intelligence to empty the wallets of vulnerable victims.
Social media platforms are currently flooded with self-proclaimed psychics offering “free appraisals.” However, according to a former fortune-teller who goes by the pseudonym Manemane, there is no spiritual insight involved — only chatbots, reports Spa! (July 21-28).
“If you instruct an AI to ‘write like famous fortune-teller X,’ a highly plausible appraisal is output in an instant,” Manemane revealed.
“Played for suckers”
The scammers rely on the “Barnum effect,” a psychological phenomenon where individuals believe vague, generalized statements apply specifically to them. “The AI isn’t telling fortunes; it’s just learning this algorithm,” Manemane said. “In short, people are being played for suckers.”
Once the AI-generated text builds a false sense of trust, the scammers systematically lure their targets onto the messaging app LINE.
It is there that the trap springs. The operators pivot to inciting fear, warning victims that their “luck will drop” or their love lives are doomed. To fix these fabricated spiritual crises, the scammers demand between 50,000 and 500,000 yen for “exorcisms” or “special prayers.” As soon as the scammers hit their financial target, they delete the account and vanish into the digital ether.
Police do not intervene
Despite the financial devastation, Manemane warns victims against publicly exposing the scammers on social media.
“It’s like declaring to the world, ‘I am a gullible mark,'” Manemane explained, noting that complaining online simply invites other fraud rings to target them. Furthermore, Japan lacks clear legal regulations regarding fortune-telling. Unless a case escalates into explicit investment fraud or sexual assault, police are highly unlikely to intervene.
How to spot a scammer
So how can the public spot a digital charlatan?
Legitimate fortune-tellers are typically affiliated with established physical “fortune-telling halls” and are often strictly prohibited from conducting unauthorized readings on social media. Experts advise that the mere offer of a free online appraisal should instantly raise suspicions. Furthermore, accounts that use buzzwords like “aura” and “exorcism,” or boast physically impossible statistics such as “100,000 appraisals in three years,” should be immediately blocked.
While current AI lacks the ability to genuinely read a client’s emotional needs through live dialogue, authorities warn that the threat is evolving. The next wave of scams is expected to utilize AI avatars and synthesized voices to conduct highly convincing, fake face-to-face readings.
