TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested four individuals, including the alleged leader of an anonymous crime syndicate and two teenagers, on suspicion of extorting over 500,000 yen from a man lured through a dating app, reports TBS News (June 17).
The suspects include 31-year-old Daiki Kutsuzawa, of unknown occupation, 21-year-old university student Ryu Toma, a 19-year-old male, and a 16-year-old girl, investigative sources revealed.
In February of this year, the group allegedly used a matchmaking app to lure a man in his 20s to a rental space in Shinjuku Ward. Once there, the suspects ordered massive quantities of expensive alcohol that was not listed on the menu.
When the victim hesitated and took time to process the exorbitant bill, the group fabricated a story that his delay had caused another customer to cancel their reservation. Feigning financial losses, they defrauded the man of approximately 540,000 yen under the guise of “compensation fees.”
Kutsuzawa is believed to be the mastermind behind Shinjuku-based tokuryu syndicate, whose members give and receive orders anonymously via smartphone apps.
Police allege that to ensure the payout, Kutsuzawa forced the victim to sign a contract with a consumer finance company. The suspects reportedly dragged the victim around the city until the following morning when the loan was finalized and the cash could be withdrawn.
Authorities suspect this was far from an isolated incident. Between October of last year and May, police received around 30 consultations regarding similar rip-off scams in Shinjuku believed to be linked to Kutsuzawa’s group.
Police are continuing its investigation, estimating the syndicate may have defrauded unsuspecting men out of nearly 19 million yen in total.
