Defendant Ikuta Misora, a 21-year-old college student, has been indicted for fraud, having allegedly swindled a total of 10.65 million yen from two men using a romance scam manual she purchased from ‘Gourmet Girl Riri-chan’, also known as defendant Watanabe Mai. A verdict on this issue has been handed down at the Nagoya District Court.

Defendant Ikuta targeted two men she met through a dating app, and repeatedly committed crimes using the method in the manual provided by defendant Watanabe, pretending to have romantic feelings while deceitfully extracting money. A total of 10.65 million yen was scammed from the men.

In the judgment, considering such actions as a serious crime, defendant Ikuta was handed a guilty verdict, sentenced to three years in prison with a five-year suspended sentence. The judge emphasized the seriousness of the fraudulent acts and the large amount of money swindled, handing down a verdict that indicates a need to secede from society for a certain period.

On the other hand, ‘Gourmet Girl Riri-chan’, or defendant Watanabe Mai, who is considered the main perpetrator in this case, is also being tried for the same crime, having defrauded a large sum of money.

The total amount fraudulently obtained is reported to be over 100 million yen, sparking societal discussions regarding romance scams. In her first interview, defendant Watanabe avoided giving specific answers about her actions.

As this case indicates, fraudulent acts via social networks and dating apps are on the rise. As it’s hard to distinguish from regular romance, users themselves are urged to act cautiously.