Up to 750,000 yen a day as a “money courier” for sophisticated fraud schemes… A former “underground part-timer” reveals the reality of a job where he carried 25 million yen a day

Using large numbers of debit cards and online banking, they made up to 25 million yen in a single day

“The highest ‘daily wage’ was 750,000 yen.”

Yusuke Kiriyama (43, pseudonym), who claims to have worked for many years as a “cash-withdrawer”—a part-time job involving withdrawing criminal organization proceeds, such as money transferred by victims of sophisticated fraud, from ATMs—said this with a distant look in his eyes.

After graduating from high school, he worked as a company employee, but his monthly salary was only about 300,000 yen.“I had absolutely no money to spend, and no prospects for promotion,” said Kiriyama, who was feeling desperate. While earning a little extra cash through side jobs like selling information products, he came across a recruitment ad for a “cash-out agent.” This was around 2016, before the term “underground part-time job” had become widespread.

“The interview was at a coffee shop, but the only thing they asked me was, ‘How many bank accounts do you have?’ They just said, ‘The job is simply to withdraw the money deposited into your account and deliver it. We’ll give you 3% of the amount you withdraw,’ without explaining how much I’d have to withdraw each time.

My only communication with the person in charge—whom I called “the boss”—was via Telegram. They took a copy of my ID, but neither “the boss” nor the intimidating middle-aged man who interviewed me would tell me anything beyond their last names.

“If, by any chance, you try to run off with the money, we’ll hunt you down no matter where you go,” he threatened, and I still clearly remember the chill that ran down my spine.”

The fact that the only means of communication was Telegram—which leaves no trace—made me suspect right away that “this isn’t a legitimate job,” but my desire to make easy money won out.

“First, I opened as many debit cards and online bank accounts as I could. I kept only one main account for myself and gave the rest to the ‘boss.’ Immediately afterward, I got a message saying, ‘I’ve deposited the money.’

Since the daily withdrawal limit varies by bank, I split the deposited money among several banks and withdrew it in small amounts. For example, at Seven Bank, you can withdraw about 2 million yen at once, but if someone like me were to withdraw a large sum all at once, it would look suspicious, right?”

Once I finished withdrawing the cash, I’d put it in a paper bag and take it to the designated location. Both the drop-off spot and the person receiving it were different every time.

“It was sometimes in front of the station, sometimes on the street… I never once met someone at a café to hand it over. We’d just tell each other what we were wearing via Telegram before arriving. There were three recipients, and we rotated among them. I don’t even know their names.”

The highest amount he withdrew in a single day was 25 million yen. At the handoff, he was given 750,000 yen—3 percent of the total amount.

However, those profitable days didn’t last long. In Part 2, we follow Mr. Kiriyama—who says he “has no regrets” even after facing a police investigation, arrest, and dismissal—to see what became of him.

Click here for the second part of the article, “Where a Former ‘Cash Runner’ Who Was Arrested and Fired Now Finds Himself After His Downfall.”