On 6/8, the Kanda Police Department in Tokyo arrested Mayu Yoshida, a 32-year-old restaurant employee from Osaka, on suspicion of fraud obstructing business operations. She is accused of repeatedly placing and canceling large online orders, accumulating a total value exceeding 4,3 billion yen (approximately 27 million USD). This behavior occurred over a 10-month period between 2024 and 2025, with an average of 7 orders placed daily.

According to police, Yoshida, a dedicated anime fan, utilized 238 distinct online user accounts to place numerous orders for merchandise related to the popular "Shonen Jump" manga series.

Her scheme involved two primary methods of "ditching" orders: First, she would reserve rare items but fail to complete payment within the specified timeframe. Second, she would opt for cash-on-delivery for online purchases, only to open the packages for inspection before returning them without payment, or simply ignoring calls from delivery personnel.

The affected company alleged that Yoshida's practice of pre-ordering large quantities of goods without purchase created a situation of "phantom" stock-outs. This prevented genuine customers from buying items and resulted in significant lost sales opportunities. The company estimated its losses, solely from delivery and warehouse fees, to be 7,5 million yen (approximately 47,000 USD).

During questioning, Yoshida confessed to having no conflict with the company. She explained that she felt overwhelmed by stress in her life and sought solace through shopping, despite lacking the financial means to pay. The act of placing and subsequently canceling orders provided her with a sense of excitement, as if she had genuinely made the purchases.

Hai Thu (According to FNN, Sora News)