Senior Management Dreams of Collecting Billions of Dollars and Going Planned Bankrupt…More than ¥400 Million in Damages Caused by “Used-Car Fraud

Another Large-Scale “Purchase Scam

Troubles in used car sales continue to plague the industry. In January of this year, a used car store in Iwate Prefecture was the victim of a purchase scam involving approximately 20 vehicles. In May, there was a larger-scale problem that claimed many more victims.

The company in the middle of the scandal is Car Top, headquartered in Itabashi-ku, Tokyo. The company is relatively new, having been established on December 10, 2009. This new company is said to be in the midst of a large-scale trouble with more than 80 victims and a total amount of more than 420 million yen. A victim living in Aichi Prefecture reveals the true state of affairs.

I was thinking of selling my Toyota Vellfire, so I applied to a lump-sum assessment site called “MO I applied to a lump-sum assessment site called ‘MOTA’ to sell my Toyota Vellfire. When you enter data such as vehicle name, mileage, body color, and inspection date, 10 to 20 companies will bid on your car without even looking at it. Then, only the first to third highest bidders get the right to call the owner, make an appointment, and assess the actual car.

So, it was “Car Top” that placed a bid 500,000 yen higher than the second place’s appraisal price. Naturally, we signed the purchase contract. I handed over the car and documents on May 15. The payment was marked as May 23rd. However, while I was waiting for the payment at ……, I suddenly received a notice of acceptance from the lawyer’s office of “Car Top” on May 19 regarding the commencement of bankruptcy proceedings. What the heck is this?　This is a planned bankruptcy! I couldn’t contain my anger.

The victim also contacted the head office of Car Top and the person in charge, but they were not connected. The author received numerous reports of damage and set up a victims’ group line. Currently, more than 50 people have joined the group.

As the interview proceeded, the vicious tactics of the company became clear. A used car dealer who had competed with Car Top on numerous occasions testified, “Since around February, they have been buying up cars at prices higher than the market price. Although the company continued to receive payments until early April, around the beginning of the Golden Week holiday season, complaints of non-payment began to appear here and there on social media.

My dream is to collect millions of dollars and go into a planned bankruptcy.”

According to the registration book, the representative director of “Car Top” is a person named Yoshinari Noro. However, Mr. Noro was rarely seen in the company. A vendor who works for the company revealed, “I have talked to him on the phone.

I have talked to him on the phone, but I have never seen him. Several times when I called the president’s number, someone with a different voice answered. It’s eerie. In fact, this is not the first time that “Car Top” has failed to receive payment for a purchase. It started with a Sapporo-based company called Kurunavi, the predecessor of Car Top.

According to the registration book of Kurunavi, the company was established in August 2012. The name of Mr. F is listed as the representative director. However, the actual management of the company was carried out by Mr. Noro.

I think it was around ’10 that the two of them started committing criminal acts. At the time, they were running another company. Even today, there are still consultations on an Internet bulletin board under that company’s name, saying, ‘I received a purchase, but the money has not been transferred. Since that time, Mr. F has been turning over purchased cars under Mr. Noro’s direction. The “Kurunavi” that was launched after that had a number of problems, such as having loans terminated due to an assault by Mr. F, being banned from vendor auctions, and being sued in civil court by victims who had not received payment. The representative and the name of the company have changed each time, but these two people are involved in the current “Car Top” as well,” said a used car dealer.

The company has changed its representative and company name, but these two people are involved in this case,” said a source close to the used car dealer. On May 17, 2006, a letter of complaint was sent by the Consumer Organization of Japan, a qualified consumer organization and nonprofit corporation. Furthermore, Mr. F, a close associate of Mr. Noro, made some surprising statements in the past. Another used car dealer who knew Mr. Noro at the time revealed, “Mr. F. had a youthful appearance.

Mr. F had a mischievous look, and many of his followers were like that,” said another used car dealer who knew Noro at the time. He was always saying, ‘It’s my dream to collect millions of dollars and go bankrupt in a planned bankruptcy! He told everyone around him that it was his dream to collect millions of dollars and go bankrupt in a planned manner. At the time, I thought, “What is he talking about?　I was horrified when I heard about this incident. I was horrified when I heard about this incident and thought that “Car Top” was indeed a planned bankruptcy.

In addition to “Kurunavi,” Mr. F also operated a used car dealership in Teinei-ku, Sapporo City, where he sold about 80 cars a month using extremely malicious tactics. He had a series of problems with customers, and his contracts with advertising media began to burn out. So, he ran the store for about eight years using methods such as ……, a method of cutting off the owner and finding a new owner again, like cutting off the tail of a lizard.”

Police in various areas are also taking serious action.

The Aichi Prefectural Police and the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department have begun accepting reports of fraud in the case of this trouble. In fact, some of the damaged vehicles have actually had their owners’ names and locations determined through investigations. Among them, we have heard that several vehicles have been returned to their owners in the presence of their lawyers in a timely manner.

Car Top’s official website (closed on May 23, 2013) introduced a new store scheduled to open in April 2013 in Tokorozawa City, Saitama Prefecture, where about 30 vehicles are currently being stored. Some of them will probably include vehicles purchased from the victims. All of these vehicles had a letter of notification by a lawyer, stating that they must not be moved ……, etc. However, when the author visited the site, there were signs of movement on the ground, and some of the letters of notification had been removed and put on other vehicles.

The author has covered hundreds of fraudulent cases, but what is surprising this time is the response of the police. The Aichi Prefectural Police was quick to accept the damage report, and the Metropolitan Police Department followed suit. Some police in Saitama and Chiba prefectures have put the acceptance of damage reports on hold, but it is likely that they will soon accept the reports. We hope that the crimes that have caused hundreds of car owners to suffer as a result of the fraudulent activities of multiple companies will be thoroughly investigated.

Finally, what can we do to avoid getting into trouble when buying or selling used cars? The first thing is to look for a store that will deliver the car in exchange for cash (or account deposit in front of you). This is the most secure system. It will be even safer if you use a used car store or a bulk appraisal site that offers an “escrow service” (transaction security), a system in which a third-party organization confirms payment and then delivers the documents and the car to the buyer.

Generally, the estimated deposit date is set within the next day to five days after the car is handed over. Knowing this point may also reduce the possibility of getting into trouble.