JR Tokai employee fired for allegedly embezzling money from foreign shinkansen passengers

OSAKA – Central Japan Railway Co. (JR Tokai) said Thursday it fired a male employee who is alleged to have embezzled about ¥100,000 after overcharging foreign passengers for shinkansen tickets at Shin-Osaka Station on seven occasions this year.

According to the operator, the 20-year-old worker collected extra money by charging passengers for an additional person when they purchased multiple tickets at the station.

He kept the extra tickets and cashed them in at other railway stations.

The malpractice was carried out between April and May. The operator started investigating the situation after one of the passengers reported their case on May 13.

JR Tokai said it will not file a criminal complaint against the employee as the overcharged money has already been returned to the passenger who reported the incident.

The employee was quoted as telling the operator that he overcharged them because he wanted money and targeted passengers who appeared to be foreign tourists.

The train operator said it is “very regrettable” that customers’ trust has been betrayed, and that it will ensure that such incidents never happen again.

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