Couple in Luxury Car Accused of Credit Card Fraud at Coffee Shop After Shocking Arrest

A couple in their 30s was arrested again on fraud charges.

On September 24, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department’s Financial Crimes Unit re-arrested the suspects, 32-year-old Takatoshi Saito, whose occupation is unknown, and his wife, Chika (33), from Toyosu, Koto Ward, Tokyo, on suspicion of fraud. The incident that led to their arrest occurred on March 13 of this year.

“At a café in Tokyo, the couple approached a male customer, claiming, ‘Our bodies bumped into each other,’ and called the police. When the police arrived and advised them to discuss the matter, the couple demanded that the male customer show his ID for verification. They allegedly created a credit card in the man’s name using the personal information they had obtained and fraudulently acquired a smartphone worth approximately 190,000 yen from an electronics store. The couple has remained silent during the investigation,” said a reporter from a national newspaper’s social affairs department.

In an article published on September 9 by FRIDAY Digital, it was reported that the couple, who were seen driving a luxury car, allegedly made false accusations against truck drivers and forged credit cards. This will be reprinted, highlighting their shocking methods and including a startling photo taken immediately after their arrest (some details have been modified).

 

A luxury car was damaged.

 

“The luxury car was damaged by a flying stone.”

“A bolt flew in and hit it.”

The three-person group made such accusations and photographed the truck driver’s license. They were said to have misused the images to forge credit cards.

By September 4, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department’s Financial Crimes Unit had arrested three suspects on charges of fraud, including the couple Takatoshi Saito and Chika, as well as a friend, a temporary employee (referred to as A) from Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture. During the investigation, Saito remained silent, while Chika denied any involvement, stating, “I have no memory of this at all.”

“The incident that led to the arrests occurred on July 10 of last year. They allegedly used someone else’s credit card to purchase two smartphones (worth approximately 300,000 yen) at an electronics store in Osaka Prefecture. They also bought clothing at a clothing store in Tokyo, returned it, and obtained a cash refund of about 100,000 yen. The credit card company reported to the police, stating there was ‘suspicion of unauthorized use,’ leading to the discovery of the incident.”

The methods employed by the trio were malicious and meticulously planned.

 

 “The cargo hit (it).”

“First, they would ride in rented luxury cars like Ferraris and Lamborghinis, scouting for trucks on the highway. When they identified a target truck that stopped at a rest area, they would approach the driver and make accusations like, ‘The luxury car was damaged by a flying stone’ or ‘The cargo hit (it).’

To further convince the driver, they would report the incident as a property damage accident and even call the police. When the officers encouraged both parties to discuss the matter and left the scene, they would suggest exchanging contact information and photograph the driver’s license. It is said that the trio used the images of the licenses to create credit cards in the names of the drivers online.”

To avoid detection, the group deliberately spaced out the time between taking the driver’s license photo and creating the credit cards by several months. They even arranged for the delivery address to be apartments or condominiums rented in the names of the drivers.

“The locations where the suspects made accusations against the drivers extended across one city and ten prefectures, including the Tomei Expressway and Joban Expressway. The police seized 34 credit cards belonging to nine individuals. It is alleged that they fraudulently used around 40 million yen. The trio purchased clothing and electronics, and it is believed they also used the money gained from the fraud to cover the rental costs of luxury cars and high-rise apartments,” said another reporter from the social affairs department.

A photographer from this magazine captured the three suspects entering the police station on September 3. They displayed shocking appearances. Suspect A, who admitted to the crime, looked dejected with his shoulders slumped and head down, while Saito and Chika, the couple, had contrasting reactions. Saito glared defiantly at the reporters, while Chika even appeared to be smiling, showing her gums.

The police are advising the public to be cautious and not to agree to the photographing of identification documents containing personal information like facial photos or addresses.