The “dangerous trick” of the real estate agent who swindled 190 million yen

In a corner of Kamiyama-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, where embassies from all over the world and the residences of political and business leaders line the streets, there is a single-family house that looks out of proportion to its surroundings. It is located one street away from Yamanote Dori, surrounded by large condominiums and mansions. The size of the land is about 230 square meters, and in the garden there is a large cherry tree that blooms beautifully in spring. This land and the old house that stands on it have caught the attention of a group of “ground workers”.

By January 12, the Metropolitan Police Department’s Investigation Division had arrested five men, including Takeshi Muramatsu (84) and Yoshihito Yamaguchi (54), on suspicion of fraud.

The suspects were arrested for impersonating the owners of land and buildings in Kamiyama-cho, Shibuya-ku, between October and November 2004, and defrauding a real estate company in Tokyo of approximately 109 million yen, including cash. The main suspect is Yamaguchi. The main suspect was Yamaguchi, and Muramatsu was the “impersonator. The real owner of the property was in his 70s at the time of the incident, and is now in his 80s. So they made Muramatsu, who is close in age to the suspect, play the role of impersonator.

The other members are believed to have been in charge of negotiating with the real estate company, preparing documents, and transporting the stolen cash. Yamaguchi is also believed to have played a central role in the Tomigaya case, in which he was arrested last December. Muramatsu is also believed to have played a central role in the Tomigaya case, in which he was arrested last December. They were a well-known group of groundworkers.

They were clever in their preparations. The most important part of the case was the real estate. The Kamiyama-cho property was perfect for this purpose. One of the neighbors said, “That house is over 30 years old.

I think the house has been abandoned for more than 30 years. When a condominium was to be built on the adjoining land, there was a plan to purchase that land and turn it into a large condominium. However, I heard that the idea was abandoned due to a lack of communication with the owner.

100 to 200 groundhands

In addition, this property was a particularly lucrative piece of land in a prime location. A local real estate agent said.

A local real estate agent said, “190 million yen for 230 square meters (about 70 tsubos) is quite cheap. I think the market price for land in Kamiyamacho near Yamate Street is around 7 million yen per tsubo. However, in the first place, in the vicinity of Kamiyamacho, in addition to the fact that land for sale itself does not appear very often, the area near Yamate Street is an area where a high building can be constructed. From the point of view of a real estate company, it can be said to be a place with quite favorable conditions.

There is no one around who knows the real owner, and it is not easy to get in touch with him. In addition, the real estate value is extremely high. The moment they set their eyes on this place, it was as if the victory of the groundhog group had been decided. In addition, they used cunning tactics to get the better of their opponents. The reporter mentioned above said.

This time, the groundworkers used a forged seal registration certificate and a forged “driving record certificate” against the real estate company. A driver’s license is a document that is issued when a driver returns his or her license. By presenting these documents, the suspect misled the impersonator, Muramatsu, into believing that he was the real owner of the property. A judicial scrivener’s office in Tokyo was used to negotiate the sale with the real estate company. It is not known whether the land surveyors and the judicial scrivener were in cahoots, but it is certain that they played a role in making people trust them.

In this way, the real estate company, which was supposed to be a professional real estate company, was conned out of 190 million yen. Journalist Hirotoshi Ito, who is familiar with the landlord-tenant case, said.

They forge whatever documents they can. The driving history certificate used in this case, for example, is a document that looks like it belongs to the person in question, as accidents caused by elderly people’s driving mistakes are becoming more frequent. The modus operandi is becoming more detailed and sophisticated one after another.
Even now, there are 100 to 200 geishas in the so-called “geishas village. It is said that they own a list of lands in prime locations and whose owners are difficult to identify. With the rise in real estate prices in recent years, the asset value of such land has also increased. There will be more cases of land grabbers in the future.

The black market fraudsters are still targeting their next target in the dark.

From “FRIDAY” February 11, 2022 issue