Twelve victims of dating scams involving investments in luxury apartments filed a group suit Wednesday with the Tokyo District Court, demanding ¥200 million in total damages from real estate agencies and mortgage lenders.
According to the lawsuit filed jointly by 10 women and two men in their 30s and 40s, all of the group's members became acquainted with their "partners" via online dating sites. After a few dates, it was strongly recommended that they take out loans and buy apartment units that were on the market for an average price of about ¥28 million each.
The plaintiffs, one of whom bought two condominium units, claim they all became estranged from their dates soon after the purchases.