Woman Behind Itadaki Joshi Scam Arrested — Claimed the Boom Was Over While Defrauding Men

She extorted over 10 million yen by coming up with various excuses

A woman sat in the back seat of the police transport vehicle, flanked by officers. Her long, straight hair was parted in the middle, and she wore silver-rimmed glasses. Far from the flashy image of an “Itadaki Joshi” — women who deceive men for money — she appeared plain and subdued. She kept her head down, avoiding showing her face, but from time to time, she glanced upward, seemingly curious about her surroundings.

On September 24, the Nakano Police Station of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department announced the arrest of Nao Ebata (25), of no known occupation, on suspicion of fraud. She is accused of swindling 560,000 yen from a company employee in his 50s in Saitama Prefecture in 2024 by falsely claiming, “I’m behind on my tuition, and if I don’t pay, I’ll be expelled.”

“Ebata met the victim when he visited the adult entertainment establishment where she worked. They exchanged contact information on LINE, and she later received 560,000 yen from him under the pretense of unpaid tuition. In reality, her school fees had already been paid. She also made up other excuses — such as repaying her late mother’s debts or covering hospital medical expenses — and received over 10 million yen in total from this man.

Investigators also found IOUs at her home involving multiple people. It’s believed she defrauded at least two individuals, including the male victim, for a total of around 22 million yen.

As for how she used the money, she reportedly said it went toward host club expenses and debt repayment, and she has admitted to the charges,” said a reporter from a national newspaper’s social affairs department.

What drew particular attention in this case was the discovery of a fraud manual on Ebata’s smartphone — a guide explaining how to make men fall in love and then swindle them out of money.

The pioneer of such sugar dating fraud manuals is believed to be Mai Watanabe, better known as “Riri-chan,” the author of “Itadaki Joshi Riri-chan’s Manual to Help Everyone Earn 10 Million Yen a Month.” Watanabe was convicted of fraud totaling over 155 million yen, as well as for selling the manual that aided others in committing fraud. In January of this year, her sentence of eight years and six months in prison and a fine of 8 million yen was finalized.

Famous accounts have been suspended one after another

It’s unclear whether the manual used by suspect Ebata in this case was the same one, but the contents of Riri-chan’s Manual—once sold for 28,000 yen—had already been widely leaked online.

“The manual teaches Itadaki Joshi how to build a sense of trust with their target older men, making them believe they’re in a romantic relationship, and ultimately creating a situation where the men willingly spend money on them. From a psychological perspective, it was an exceptionally well-crafted guide,” said a writer familiar with the papa-katsu (sugar dating) scene.

Even after Watanabe’s arrest, the leaked manual continued to circulate online, and several websites offering similar guides flourished. Many young women new to papa-katsu reportedly obtained these manuals from such sites. However, things have recently begun to change.

“In August this year, when X (formerly Twitter) tightened its rules, there was a so-called mass suspension festival targeting accounts posting extreme political content. During that time, many papa-katsu-related accounts were also suspended one after another. Now, it’s much harder to get access to those manuals.

In the past, there were numerous glamorous papa-katsu influencers on X who posted pictures of stacks of cash and shared tips with beginners to help them earn money. But most of those accounts have now been frozen. There are still small, private communities where Itadaki Joshi quietly exchange information—such as lists of dangerous or generous sugar daddies and fake medical documents used as evidence—but the overall scene has calmed down considerably,” the same writer explained.

With the rise of “Itadaki Joshi,” the papa-katsu boom seemed to reach its peak in public attention. However, as cases like Ebata’s continue to be exposed and prosecuted, the movement appears to be gradually fading out.

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