“Riri-chan,” real name: Mai Watanabe (25), known as an “itadakijoshi” was sent to the prosecutor’s office on the 22nd of Sept. on suspicion of fraud. She is suspected of deceiving a 50-year-old man she met on a dating app into giving her approximately 27 million yen in two separate incidents. Watanabe has admitted to the allegations.
Watanabe is said to have induced romantic feelings in her victims and referred to the men who gave her money as “Oji” (a term that can be loosely translated to “sugar daddy”). She fabricated lies such as:
Mai Watanabe: “I borrowed money from acquaintances and if I don’t pay it back, I’ll have to work as a prostitute.”
Furthermore, Watanabe had systematized these tactics and was selling them as a manual on the internet.
A writer well-versed in youth fraud cases, Mr. Masanori Sendo, mentioned that he had been following Watanabe’s activities for the past three years. She referred to receiving money from “Oji” as “itadaki” and even called herself a “itadakijoshi” on social media, making her a known figure online. Writer Masanori Sendo: “Among these individuals, ‘Riri-chan’ (Watanabe) was like the leader.
Mr. Sendo showed a manual he had obtained a few years ago. He said that Watanabe was selling it for 10,000 yen.
In this manual, the process of persuading men to give money is referred to as “magic,” and it explains the steps involved. It also includes examples of successful interactions and provides explanations of the key points. Additionally, it lists tips for receiving money and the mindset of a “itadakijoshi.”
From Watanabe’s manual: “Remember the compliments using ‘sa-shi-su-se-so’!
‘Sa‘ – (Sasuga da ne) You’re amazing’
‘Shi’ – (Shiranakatta!) I didn’t know that!
‘Su‘ – (Sugoi!!) Incredible!!
‘Se‘ – (Sensu aru ne!) You have style!
‘So‘ – (Sou na no?) is that so?”
According to investigators, around 1,000 people purchased such manuals. Some of these buyers have reportedly been involved in actual fraud cases.
A female university student in Nagoya was arrested for defrauding two men of approximately 10 million yen. In this case, Watanabe is also considered an accomplice due to her involvement in selling the manual, and she has been arrested on suspicion of aiding the fraud.
Watanabe, who repeatedly received money from men using these methods, had not caused significant trouble until now. Writer Masanori Sendo: “The key is to provide ‘aftercare’ after receiving money from ‘Oji.’ If you do that properly, it won’t escalate into a big issue. Pretending to be upset and saying things like, ‘Why would you say something like that? I feel lonely,’ and so on, that’s really the point.”
The manual also openly discusses the reasons behind Watanabe becoming an “itadaki joshil.” From Watanabe’s manual: “There was a host that I wanted to support. That’s the whole reason I started using this ‘magic’! I still remember the excitement of receiving 3 million yen from a true love customer from LINE.”
According to investigators, Watanabe herself is believed to have received over 200 million yen from men, but her bank account had little money left.
The police are continuing their investigation into additional crimes.
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Ririchan!