The Cunning Tactics of Kabukicho’s Notorious Dating Scam Duo Yuri the Turtle Dash and Laila the Fast Runner

Shinjuku’s Kabukicho, where incidents involving men and women, such as Toyoko Kids and “Kouen Joshi” at Okubo Park, happen almost daily. Recently, a group of “scam women” based here has become a hot topic, especially on social media. Two of the most notorious women are referred to as “No. 1” and “No. 2.”
Their scam method is simple: they lure men through matching apps and then steal their money. Here, we will explain their tactics based on the testimonies of their victims.

 

 

No. 1 is “Yuri the Turtle Dash.”

Let’s start with “No. 1,” who goes by the name “Yuri.” She has caught the attention of many, and sighting reports, often accompanied by photos, have been widely shared on X (formerly Twitter).

Yuri uses dating apps to arrange meetings with men under the guise of a “no-strings-attached” paid relationship. They meet up and enter a rental room—a simple love hotel with just a bed and shower. Once inside, she demands payment upfront, usually around 20,000 yen. After receiving the money, she undresses the man, briefly performs oral sex, and then makes a dash to escape from the room. On X, she earned the nickname “Yuri the Turtle Dash” due to her habit of kissing the man’s glans and then fleeing. A man who fell victim to her scheme testified about how it happened.

“Her method is extremely well-practiced. Once we entered the rental room, she demanded payment upfront and, for some reason, asked me to delete our message history on the matching app. Then, she instructed me to take off my pants, and after a brief moment of oral sex, she said, ‘I’ll go buy some lotion, just wait here,’ and left the room. No matter how long I waited, she never came back. Looking back, I realize she made me take off my pants so I wouldn’t follow her when she left.”

Since she uses a regular dating app, her targets range from young men to middle-aged and older men. According to posts on social media, “Yuri the Turtle Dash” is spotted in Kabukicho almost every day. Out of curiosity, I decided to visit her usual area one weekday afternoon.

She is often seen around a fast food restaurant near Seibu Shinjuku Station, where she frequently arranges meetups with men. From there, on the way toward the center of Kabukicho, there’s an alley with the rental room Yuri often uses, so I walked in that direction.