OSAKA — A 44-year-old former Self-Defense Forces officer has been arrested for allegedly bilking a woman out of some 9.5 million yen by posing as a trading house president, it was learned Wednesday.
Masayuki Miura, a company employee from Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo, reportedly told investigators he also swindled money from four other women in a similar fashion for a total of some 100 million yen, sources said.
He allegedly bilked a 51-year-old woman in Osaka out of a total of 9.5 million yen on two occasions after becoming acquainted with her through a telephone dating club.
The other victims are from Hokkaido, Fukuoka and Okinawa prefectures.
In asking for money, he allegedly claimed he was the president of a trading house and told her he needed the money to solve a problem that had arisen in his business.
Miura later allegedly disappeared while they were on a trip to France, prompting the Osaka woman to notify police upon returning to Japan.
Miura was put on a wanted list and was arrested as he left Japan for Saipan with a 28-year-old woman.
Miura reportedly told investigators that he hated to work and the money he bilked from the women was used to cover his living and travel expenses.