Sugar Baby Riri, whose real name is Mai Watanabe, found herself broke and in risk of becoming homeless when she came up with idea to use men for money.

She scammed ¥156 million out of multiple men (1 million USD) and has been sentenced to 9 years in prison for fraud.

She spent the money she obtained from the men on a host she fell in love with, with the aim of making him No. 1 in terms of sales at the club where he works in Tokyo’s Kabukicho entertainment district.

She sold a manual on how to scam these men out of money:

SELECT TARGET

“The best guys to target have no hope in life.

They go to work, return home, sleep. That’s all they do

it’s like, why are you even alive?”

She would seek those who are rich, but bad with money, those who are lonely and live purposeless lives with no hobbies or women. She knew how to find these types of men because she used to work in the “night industry.” She messaged every guy on her contacts and the only  response she got was from “the loneliest most unfulfilled man.”

“Avoid guys with hobbies, like travel, or motorbiking.

Basically guys with fulfilling lives, guys who have lots of friends.

guys who flash money around may seem like ideal targets but they’re self-centered.”

CULTIVATE TRUST

“If someone you didn’t know, or someone you just met suddenly asked you for money,

you wouldn’t consider giving it to them…

‘I feel so calm talking to you’ or ‘Normally I don’t like talking with guys… but with you it’s different…’

Make him think he’s special.”

Mai Watanabe would text her target everyday and every night asking him questions that made it seem like she actually cared about him. If she skipped this step, he would get suspicious and she would fail to extract money from him.

AROUSE CONCERN

“Make him think you’re in danger,

like casting a spell on him.”

She would abruptly stop texting him for 3-4 days which would lead him to spamming messages if she was okay.

“I’m sorry I didn’t message you… I was too embarrassed to tell you…

I’m being chased by debt collectors.”

She would have a story and stick with it for any of his questions. Now she has a trusting guy who is willing to help her. Do you ask him for money now?

“no no no”

MENTION “SOLUTIONS”

“I’ve been talking to someone who says he’ll lend me the money, but he’s connected to the yakuza…”

He would offer more solutions to her like going to the cops or  telling her parents but she had already anticipated these and would respond with “The cops?? I’m telling you because I trust you” or “My parents? they hate me, I ran away remember?” At this point he will offer to pay her debt. Mai has a rule where she would have to refuse the first time he asks, but then eventually give in.

MAKE HIM FEEL SPECIAL

“After you get the money, you need to make a big fuss like thank you, you saved me.

that’s Aftercare.”

Aftercare is the most important step! She needed to make him feel like a white knight who saved the princess by thanking him repeatedly and mentioning how her life is back to normal. She would tell him how she could see a bright romantic future together and what horrible things would’ve happened to her if she never met him.

END or…

REPEAT?

If Mai thinks the guy doesn’t have anymore cash left or she has put him in too much debt, she’ll try to let the conversation die out and move on to the next guy. Sometimes she would wait a couple of months to repeat the same strategy again.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/04/22/japan/crime-legal/itadaki-joshi-ruling/

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