Japan's Most Unhinged Scammer Loses it All

Summary

Watanabe Mai, a young woman with no education or skills, devised a scam to extort money from lonely men, which she then sold as a guide. Her method involved cultivating trust, arousing concern, and making the target feel like a hero. Despite her success, the police caught on, leading to her arrest and the downfall of her scheme. Mai's earnings were spent on host clubs, where she fell in love with a host, ultimately leading to her financial and legal troubles.

Takeaways

• 🚫 Unethical and Illegal: Watanabe Mai's method of scamming money from men is unethical and illegal.
• 🎯 Target Selection: The ideal target is a lonely, unfulfilled man with disposable income but poor financial management.
• 📱 Building Trust: Cultivating trust is key, achieved through constant communication and making the target feel special.
• 🔎 Detailed Knowledge: Learning everything about the target, including personal habits and history, is crucial for the scam to work.
• 📉 Arousing Concern: The scammer creates a sense of urgency by pretending to be in financial trouble or danger.
• 💸 Extracting Money: Money is extracted by casting a 'spell' of concern, without directly asking for it.
• 🤔 Anticipating Resistance: The scammer is prepared to counter any alternative solutions proposed by the target to avoid payment.
• 🦸‍♂️ Hero Complex: Making the target feel like a hero who saves the day is crucial for the scam's success.
• 🔄 Repeat Business: Scammers often return to the same target for additional money after a period of time.
• 💔 Downfall of Mai: Mai's scamming activities were exposed when one of her students failed to provide proper 'aftercare' and the targets went to the police.
• 💵 Expensive Lifestyle: Mai spent all her ill-gotten gains on host clubs, which was her initial motivation for scamming.

Q & A

What was Watanabe Mai's initial occupation before she started scamming?

Watanabe Mai initially worked in what the Japanese call the 'night industry', which implies she was involved in the adult entertainment sector.

How did Watanabe Mai come up with the idea to scam men for money?

Mai came up with the idea to scam men for money after she desperately texted every guy on her contact list asking for money and only the loneliest, most unfulfilled guy responded.

What is the first step in Mai's scamming method?

The first step in Mai's scamming method is 'S: select your target', where she advises to find a man who is good at making money but bad at holding on to it, specifically one who is lonely, isolated, and has no hobbies.

What type of men does Mai suggest avoiding in her scamming guide?

Mai suggests avoiding playboys and f-boys, who are self-centered and only interested in physical relationships, as they are savvy and self-centered, making them difficult to manipulate.

How does Mai's method aim to cultivate trust with the target?

Mai's method cultivates trust by texting the target frequently, making him feel special, and learning everything about him to make him fully trust her before attempting to extract money.

What is the 'casting a spell' phase in Mai's scamming process?

The 'casting a spell' phase involves arousing concern by making the target think the scammer is in danger, which leads to the target offering financial help.

Why does Mai never directly ask for money from her targets?

Mai never directly asks for money to avoid arousing suspicion. Instead, she mentions 'solutions' that don't solve the problem, prompting the target to offer financial help voluntarily.

What is the 'Aftercare' step in Mai's scamming method and why is it important?

The 'Aftercare' step involves making the target feel like a hero who saved the scammer. It is crucial because it ensures the target feels good about giving money and is more likely to be scammed again in the future.

How much money did Watanabe Mai likely scam in her four-year career?

It is estimated that Watanabe Mai scammed over $2 million US from desperate men during her four-year career.

What was the turning point that led to Mai's arrest?

The turning point that led to Mai's arrest was when one of her students, Ieda Miku, scammed two men and did not provide proper 'Aftercare', leading the victims to report the incident to the police.

What was the ultimate reason behind Mai's scamming and how did it lead to her downfall?

The ultimate reason behind Mai's scamming was her desire to spend money at host clubs. This led to her downfall as she was living paycheck to paycheck, spending all the scammed money on host clubs, and eventually, her actions caught up with her, leading to multiple arrests.

Outlines

00:00

🚨 Scam Tactics: Targeting Vulnerable Men

The script describes Watanabe Mai's method of scamming money from men. She targeted lonely, isolated men with no hobbies or meaningful relationships, who were not adept at managing their finances. Mai, with experience in the 'night industry,' identified the perfect victim as someone who would be desperate for connection. She advised avoiding men who were self-centered or had fulfilling lives. The process began with cultivating trust by simulating a girlfriend-like relationship through constant communication and learning intimate details about the target's life.

05:04

💸 Extracting Money: The 'Scammer System'

Mai's strategy involved arousing concern by suddenly ceasing communication to make the target worry, then reappearing with a fabricated financial crisis. She advised against elaborating too much and to let the target ask questions, slowly revealing a prepared story. The goal was to create sympathy without directly asking for money. Mai emphasized the importance of 'Aftercare,' where the scammer makes the victim feel like a hero for helping, ensuring they feel good about giving money and potentially setting up future scams.

10:07

🍷 Host Club Addiction and Downfall

Mai's motivation for scamming was her addiction to host clubs, where she spent excessively to gain the attention of a host she was infatuated with. Despite earning a significant amount through her scams, she lived frugally to afford the clubs. Her downfall came when one of her students, Ieda Miku, scammed without proper 'Aftercare,' leading to police attention. This resulted in Mai's arrest and subsequent media exposure, which encouraged more victims to come forward. Mai's lifestyle and the host club's role in her crimes were highlighted, along with the arrest of her host for complicity.

Keywords

💡Scam

A scam is a fraudulent scheme or dishonesty intended to make a profit at another's expense. In the video, Watanabe Mai develops a method for scamming money out of lonely men, which she later releases as a guide for other women to get rich. The term is central to the video's theme of deception and manipulation.

💡Target

In the context of the video, a target refers to the person being scammed. Mai advises selecting targets who are lonely, isolated, and have no hobbies, as they are more susceptible to scams. The term is crucial to understanding the strategy of the scam.

💡Cultivate Trust

Cultivating trust is a key step in the scamming process described in the video. Mai emphasizes the importance of making the target feel like the scammer is their girlfriend through constant communication. This builds the trust necessary for the scammer to extract money from the target.

💡Extracting Cash

Extracting cash refers to the act of getting the target to give money to the scammer. The video describes a method where the scammer arouses concern by pretending to be in danger, casting a 'spell' on the target to make them feel compelled to give money.

💡Aftercare

Aftercare in the video refers to the process of making the target feel like a hero after they have given money. This is done to reinforce the scammer's relationship with the target and potentially set up future scams. Mai stresses that aftercare is the most important step to avoid the target feeling scammed and going to the police.

💡Night Industry

The night industry is a term used to describe certain types of evening or night-time businesses, often with a sexual or adult component. Mai's experience in the night industry gave her insight into the types of men who are vulnerable to scams, as she learned from her own experience of asking for money.

💡Playboys and F-Boys

These terms refer to men who are self-centered and primarily interested in physical relationships. In the video, Mai advises avoiding these types of men as targets because they are less likely to be manipulated due to their self-centered nature and experience with women.

💡Unfulfilled and Lonely

Unfulfilled and lonely men are ideal targets for the scam described in the video because they are more likely to seek emotional connection and are therefore more susceptible to scams that prey on their loneliness.

💡Yakuza

The Yakuza is a term used to describe organized crime syndicates in Japan. In the scam, Mai mentions the Yakuza as a source of potential loans to arouse concern in the target, making them more likely to offer money to 'save' the scammer from a dangerous situation.

💡Host Club

A host club is a type of adult entertainment venue in Japan where male hosts entertain female customers. Mai's involvement with host clubs is a significant part of her story, as her desire to spend money at these clubs is what led her to start scamming in the first place.

💡Aiding and Abetting

Aiding and abetting refers to assisting or encouraging the commission of a crime. Mai was arrested for aiding and abetting scams due to her guide that taught others how to scam money from men, which is a central part of the video's narrative about her criminal activities.

Highlights

Watanabe Mai developed a method for scamming money out of lonely men and released it as a guide.

Mai's tactics spread on social media, but the police eventually caught on.

The 'Scammer System' is a rebranded version of Mai's unethical and illegal method.

The first step in the system is to select the right target, avoiding broke losers and focusing on lonely, unfulfilled men.

Mai recommends avoiding playboys and self-centered men who are difficult to manipulate.

Cultivating trust is key, making the target feel like the scammer is their girlfriend.

Learning everything about the target is crucial for gaining their trust.

Extracting cash involves arousing concern by making the target think the scammer is in danger.

Mai advises against elaborating on the fabricated story and to let the target ask for details.

The scammer should never directly ask for money; instead, mention 'solutions' that don't solve the problem.

Aftercare is emphasized as the most important step, making the target feel like a hero.

Mai's method involved repeating the scam on the same target after a few weeks or months.

Mai likely scammed over $2 million US from desperate men in her four-year career.

Mai's public appearance and sale of her guide led to her downfall when one of her students was arrested.

Mai was arrested for aiding and abetting after one of her students scammed men without proper aftercare.

Mai spent all her scam money on host clubs, living paycheck to paycheck.

Mai's host and his manager were also arrested for knowingly receiving dirty money.

Mai pleaded guilty to aiding the scams with the guide and the scams she did herself.

Transcripts

Imagine you're 18 with no skills, no  education, stuck in a dead-end job,  

and someone told you that you needed to make  a million dollars in a year. Where would you  

get the money from? For Watanabe Mai, the answer was  obvious: from men, of course. Mai developed  

an incredibly effective method for scamming  money out of lonely men and released it as  

a guide to help other women get rich too. Her  tactics spread like wildfire on social media,  

but then the cops got wind of it. Mai's  magic system is genius, and I'm going to  

go through all of it, but it is unethical and  illegal. That's why I've rebranded it to the  

'Scammer System.' Pay attention so you don't  become a victim, and obviously, do not use it.

Alright, gang, listen up. The first  thing you have to do is S: select your target.  

Not every guy is a good target, so  if you don't choose the right ones,  

you're going to waste a lot of time. Broke  losers are out. You've got to find a guy  

who's good at making money but bad at holding  on to it. The perfect  

mark is a guy who's lonely, isolated, and has  no hobbies; a guy who has no meaning in life,  

who's not fulfilled. Ideally, he has nobody who  relies on him and no interactions with women.

The reason Mai knows this is the best type of  man to target is because she used to work in  

what the Japanese call the 'night industry,'  if you know what I'm saying. One evening,  

she desperately texted every guy on  her contact list asking for money,  

and the only reply she got was from the  loneliest, most unfulfilled guy she knew.

When it comes to the kind of guy you should  avoid, Mai recommends staying away from  

playboys and f-boys, the kind of guys who are  self-centered and only interested in physical  

relationships. As I mentioned earlier, you  want a guy who's unfulfilled and lonely,  

so you should avoid guys who have a fulfilling  life.  

And you've got to avoid guys who are full of themselves. Guys who flash money  around may seem like ideal targets,  

but they're savvy and self-centered,  making them difficult to manipulate.

Now that you've selected your target, it's time  to C: cultivate trust. 

If he doesn't trust you,  why would he give you money? So, you've  got to make him trust you. The best way  

to do that is to make him feel like you're his  girlfriend. That means texting him all the time,  

every day, when you wake up, throughout the day,  

before you go to sleep. You need to  make him feel like he's special to you.

The next thing you've got to do is learn  everything about him. Stuff like what time does he  

wake up, what does he do on his days off, what was  his childhood like. If you skip this step and try  

to extract money without making him fully trust  you, he'll get suspicious, and you will fail.

Mai gives examples of her favorite messages to use  on guys. Stuff like messaging you first thing in  

the morning has become the highlight of my day,  and it feels so nice to say good night to you.

Okay, now that you've got him to  trust you, it's time for the fun part:  

extracting cash. To do this, we will  start by arousing concern. Basically,  

you need to make him think that you're  in danger, and that the solution is for  

him to give you some money. Mai refers  to this part as casting a spell on him.

To start, abruptly stop texting him for 2, 3,  or even 4 days. He'll get worried about you and  

probably spam you with messages. Don't open them.  Hold out. Once he's ready, find a time when you  

think he's home and ready to have a conversation.  Say something like, "I'm sorry I didn't message  

you, but I was too embarrassed to tell you what  I've been dealing with. I'm being chased by debt  

collectors." Don't elaborate, make him ask  for details, and slowly trickle them out to  

him. Make sure you're ready with your story.  Prepare all the specific details beforehand.

For example, "I'm behind on rent,"  he'll say, "Since when?" "2 months  

ago." "Why haven't you paid?" "The economy,  

medical bills, whatever." "What happens if you  

don't pay?" "I could get  evicted," or "My parents might find out."

If you've done things correctly, you now have a  trusting guy who's sympathetic to your financial  

troubles. Now, is it time to ask him for money?  No, no, no, no. Actually, Mai never directly asks  

for money. Instead, the next step is to mention  "solutions" that don't really solve the problem.  

These are things like, "I've been talking  to someone who says he'll lend me the money,  

but he's connected to the Yakuza." Obviously, your  guy doesn't want you to get money from the Yakuza,  

but he's probably not ready to pay yet,  so his first instinct will be to come up  

with all kinds of solutions that get him off the  hook, things like, "Have you considered speaking  

to a lawyer?" or "Have you asked your parents  for help?" He's like a worm trying to wriggle  

away. Anticipate these questions and be ready  with answers, things that make him feel bad,  

like, "Lawyer? I told you about this because I  trust you. I don't want to tell somebody else  

about this." or "Go to my parents? They  hate me, I ran away from home, remember?"

At this point, if you've done everything right  and he trusts you, he will offer to pay your debt.  

Mai has a rule where you have to refuse the first  time, but eventually give in and accept his money.

Success, but it's not over yet. The next  part is crucial. You need to make him  

feel like a hero. Mai calls this part  Aftercare,

and she stresses—seriously,  look how many extra characters she added here for  emphasis—that this Aftercare is the most important  

step. You need to make him feel like a white  knight who saved the princess. Say things like,  

"Thank you so much, you've given me a place  to sleep tonight." Give him a breakdown of  

exactly how you spent the money, hint at  your romantic future together, and tell  

him what horrible things might have happened  if it wasn't for him: "If I hadn't met you,  

I might be dead right now." or "You saved  my life, please don't ever leave me."

You need to make sure that he feels warm and fuzzy  about giving you the money. If you skip this step,  

who knows what could happen. But if you did it  correctly, this sets you up in perfect position  

to end or repeat. If Mai thinks the guy doesn't  have any more cash left, or if she's put him in  

too much debt already, she'll try to let the  conversation die out and move on to the next  

guy. But most of the time, if you wait a few  weeks or months, you can loop back to the start  

and try to get money from him all over again.  Mai says most of her targets pay her more than once.

She even has a guy who buys her the new  iPhone every year. In her four-year career,  

it's likely that Mai scammed over $2 million  US from desperate men, and she was proud of it.

Mai didn't hide her lifestyle at all.  She even brought 60k in cash to this  

interview. The interviewer is  a massive Japanese YouTuber,  

and the reason it happened at all is because  she's a fan of his and was spamming him for  

attention. He asked really good questions  and she ended up looking pretty bad.

Afterwards, she threatened to go to the cops  if he released it, but he released it anyway.  

Gigachad. Why did Mai want to be in the public  eye so badly? Perhaps she just wanted attention,  

but there was another reason. The  guide we went through earlier,  

she was selling it for $300 a  pop, and business was booming.

This was the beginning of the end for Mai.  Remember when I mentioned that aftercare is  

the most important part? Another reason for this  is because guys who feel scammed go to the cops.  

Unfortunately for Mai, some of her students  must have skipped that chapter. Specifically,  

19-year-old convenience store employee,  Ieda Miku, who after buying Mai's guide,  

scammed around $100,000 out of two men  by lying that she was going to be forced  

to appear in a certain kind of video if  they didn't help her. After they paid her,  

she didn't do any aftercare. In fact, you could  say she did negative aftercare. To both men,  

she sent a message, "Miku has  been kidnapped," and blocked them.

When two men bring such an absurd story to the  Nagoya police within one month, they start to  

connect the dots. They quickly tracked down and  arrested Miku, found the guide on her phone,  

and then arrested Mai for aiding and abetting.  This put Mai's face on the news, which made quite  

a few of her past victims realize they were  scammed and go to the cops. Because guys were  

finally coming forward, they were able to arrest  Mai two more times over the next couple of months.

One of the most interesting things they  found after arresting her is that she never  

had any savings; she was essentially  living paycheck to paycheck, well,  

other people's paycheck to paycheck. Every month  she was spending all of the money she received...

...on what, you might ask? Host clubs. A host club  is a place where women pay for the company of  

charming men. Hosts give them attention  and entertain them with conversation and  

alcohol in a controlled social setting. Host  clubs can be cheap if you go once in a while,  

the first visit is heavily discounted, but if you  become a regular, they become really expensive.

In Mai's case, she was a bit more than  a regular. She fell in love with a host,  

specifically this guy, and spent so much money  at the club the staff started calling her Mother  

Teresa. The only reason Mai started scamming  was host clubs. Before host clubs, Mai was  

just a normal student with a part-time job. Host  clubs made her want money, which is why she got  

into night work. That still didn't make enough,  so she started scamming her clients. In the end,  

host clubs were her downfall. Even when she was  making hundreds of thousands of dollars a month,  

she was living in capsule hotels so she  had more money to spend at the host club.

On October 27th, Mai was in the news  again, the fourth time in 2 months,  

but this time it wasn't her being arrested,  it was her host and his manager. They were  

arrested for knowingly receiving dirty  money from Mai. But how can they prove  

the hosts knew the money was dirty? How about  a text message found on Mai's phone from the  

host saying "I am your accomplice now, I'll be  arrested with you." Speaking of this host guy,  

everyone's talking about this fish-shaped kettle  of his. Apparently, he bought it for like $25 on  

Amazon and served Mai soft drinks in it. For this  luxurious service, he charged her around $100,000.

On November 3rd, Mai appeared in court.  Her appearance had changed a lot,  

and she was wearing glasses. She pleaded guilty to  both aiding the scams with the guide and the scams  

that she did herself. The only new information we  learned during the trial is that she has a husband  

who's Vietnamese. She hasn't been sentenced yet,  and there's another trial coming in December.

You know, I've actually worked at a host club.  I made a bonus video where I tell that story  

and talk a bit about the channel and why the  videos take so long. It's free on my Patreon,  

you don't have to sign up, link in  the description. Check it out. Also,  

thanks to my Patrons and thank you for watching.