Japanese man cheats app into giving him food worth Rs 21 lakh for free for over two years

A Japanese man conned food delivery apps into giving him free meals for over two years by executing an elaborately planned scheme. The 38-year-old was arrested in October this year after the platform got suspicious and informed the police. His fraudulent activity resulted in the company incurring losses of over 3.7 million yen (US$24,000). Takuya Higashimoto had been fooling a leading food delivery platform since April 2023, getting the food without ever having to pay a penny, Japan Times reported. He had been unemployed for several years and placed 1,095 orders in this period. His modus operandi included a host of SIM cards and fake accounts. He selected the contactless delivery option on the delivery app Demae-can and later complained that the food had not arrived. He got a refund every time while keeping the food.

Authorities stated that Higashimoto made 124 accounts on the platform to execute his plan. He also ensured that no one could ever trace him by purchasing numerous prepaid mobile phone cards. He used fake names and addresses to place the orders and later cancelled them. On July 30, Higashimoto once again created a new account on Demae-can. He ordered things like bento and chicken steaks through the app, and filed complaints that his food was not delivered. Instead of talking to customer care, he used the chat feature and was refunded 16,000 yen (US$105) the same day.

Soon, the company got suspicious and investigated past cases. They learn of his fraudulent activity and filed a police complaint. Higashimoto told the police that his initial deception filled him with such confidence that he went on with it for two years. The case has shocked people in the country. What's intrigued them the most is the effort he put into gathering SIM cards and making fake accounts to fool the platform. Meanwhile, the company is now tightening its identity verification processes.