KAGAWA –
A 72-year-old emeritus professor at Kagawa University misplaced greater than 9 million yen and even offered his house after turning into the sufferer of a romance rip-off by which a girl calling herself “Aiko” steadily gained his belief earlier than introducing an funding scheme.
The case has drawn renewed consideration as authorities examine former skilled tennis participant Rika Hiraki, 54, a former French Open champion who was rearrested on August 12 on suspicion of tried fraud in a separate case.
Investigators consider Hiraki might have been concerned in romance scams that exploited victims’ romantic emotions to acquire cash.
The victims in two instances linked to the investigation had been each ladies. They had been contacted via social media and different on-line providers by individuals claiming to be male docs working abroad and had been later requested for cash.
Hiraki has denied the allegations, saying she has no data of the matter.
Romance scams have been growing in Japan in recent times.
According to the National Police Agency, losses from particular fraud instances reached a file 181.6 billion yen within the first half of 2026. The variety of acknowledged romance rip-off instances has greater than doubled over the previous two years.
People of their 40s, 50s and 60s accounted for about 75% of romance rip-off victims.
One sufferer was Ryoichi Takakura, a 72-year-old authorized scholar and emeritus professor at Kagawa University, who was focused two years in the past.
The contact started after Takakura posted on social media about clearing out his belongings following retirement.
A lady who recognized herself as Aiko and mentioned she lived in China despatched him a pal request.
As their exchanges grew to become extra frequent, Takakura got here to consider that Aiko was educated, clever and understood his values and ambitions.
He mentioned he felt she was somebody who understood him and shared the course by which he needed to take his life.
Aiko ultimately started calling him “big brother” and repeatedly informed him that she was receiving funding steerage from her uncle.
About three weeks after they first met on-line, she requested whether or not he needed to hitch her in making an attempt one thing in an unfamiliar funding subject.
Takakura mentioned he in all probability wouldn’t have agreed if Aiko had instantly urged him to speculate, however the declare that she was appearing beneath her uncle’s steerage added a layer of credibility.
He initially transferred 50,000 yen to an account he had been given.
Aiko then despatched messages telling him that the funding was rising efficiently.
Later, Takakura started receiving notices saying he needed to pay further cash to stop the supposed funding income from being frozen.
He continued sending funds, together with one request for 3.5 million yen.
To increase the cash, Takakura offered jewellery and used about 1.9 million yen of his personal financial savings. He additionally borrowed cash from a number of pals.
He ultimately offered his house to safe additional funds.
During that interval, Aiko despatched messages advising him to not inform his financial institution that the transfers had been associated to investments as a result of doing so may delay the transactions.
She informed him he may as a substitute clarify that the transfers had been between pals, which might supposedly assist him keep away from pointless issues.
Takakura mentioned he was additionally speaking with an individual offered as Aiko’s uncle and that the chance he was being deceived by no means entered his thoughts.
Over a interval of 5 months, Takakura transferred greater than 9 million yen.
He lastly realized the seriousness of what had occurred after he was now not capable of contact Aiko.
Asked why he had been deceived, Takakura mentioned the concept he is likely to be the goal of a rip-off had disappeared solely from his considering.
“Their ultimate goal is money,” he mentioned. “But before that, they come to steal your heart.”
Source: FNN