Police in Japan are ramping up efforts to dismantle a loose network of romance scammers who use dating apps to target disabled people, luring victims to fraudulent bars and saddling them with exorbitant bills through deceptive drinking games and false claims.
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The latest case – involving a visually impaired man who was swindled out of about 700,000 yen (US$4,870) – has cast a spotlight on how such “anonymous and fluid” crime groups operate with impunity by cycling in new perpetrators for each incident, according to Tokyo police.
The man had met a woman on a dating app designed for people with disabilities. She introduced herself as “Risa” and offered to take him to a bar in Tokyo’s bustling Shibuya district in February.
What he did not know, investigators later said, was that the woman – identified by police as Rina Sugawara – was employed by the bar and working in concert with its staff.
The bar offered an all-you-can-drink plan for 5,000 yen, but during their visit, Sugawara reportedly encouraged him to order additional drinks and engage in a drinking game that involved taking shots as a penalty. The victim, who rarely consumed alcohol, soon became intoxicated.
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