OSAKA (TR) – Osaka Prefectural Police have arrested a 27-year-old unemployed woman from Osaka Prefecture for allegedly defrauding a 22-year-old woman out of over 2 million yen by falsely promising to introduce her to a male idol, reports TBS News (Aug. 3).
The suspect, a resident of Ibaraki City, was arrested on suspicion of fraud and violating the Act on Punishment of Organized Crimes.
According to police, the suspect first connected with the victim, a resident of Oita City, via a Line OpenChat in September of last year. She approached the young woman claiming, “I am acquaintances with a male idol’s manager. If you pay an introduction fee, you can meet him.”
The suspect was previously arrested in June of this year for swindling 850,000 yen from the victim in the initial stage of the scam.
Following that initial payment, the suspect escalated the con. She sent the victim messages claiming, “I advanced the introduction fee for you to meet the idol, so I need you to pay me back.” Between November and December of last year, the suspect allegedly bilked the victim out of an additional 2.05 million yen in cash and electronic money across nine separate transactions.
“Damages”
The ruse unraveled in December when the eager fan traveled to a designated meeting spot in Tokyo, only to find no one waiting for her.
Adding insult to injury, the suspect subsequently contacted the victim to blame her for the botched meetup. “You didn’t come to the designated place. You lost their trust,” the suspect reportedly told her, before brazenly demanding additional money as compensation for “damages.”
Realizing she had been duped, the victim finally consulted the police.
During questioning, the suspect admitted to the allegations. Investigators believe the swindled funds were blown on living expenses and entertainment, and police are currently investigating whether she has committed similar crimes against other victims.
