A man has been arrested for running an online dating (deai-kei) scam that scammed 2,100 otaku out of 210 million yen over the years.
Deai-kei websites are common portals in Japan, usually a ruse for informal prostitution or enjo kosai. In this case, the owner tricked members into thinking they would be able to exchange emails with their favorite AKB48 idols and even go on dates with the girls.
The trial has begun of the 32-year-old man from Chiba who ran the site. He would have his part-time employees send mails to the otaku posing as celebrities and idols. After a time, these mails would begin to cost the hapless fans money for each piece of useless text.
They might even arrange to go on a date with the otaku. The poor guy would think he is going to meet Atsuko Maeda, only to have the date cancelled at the last minute with the excuse that “my manager came”.
One otaku spent 2.7 million yen on the site, more than an average annual salary. With the mails costing him 450 yen each time, it would appear he paid for some 6,000 mails!
