'One Piece' and 'Naruto' fan arrested for abandoning 2,100 online anime orders worth $27M
A 32-year-old Japanese woman has been arrested after allegedly placing 2,100 online orders for manga-related merchandise worth over 4.3 billion yen (US$27 million), only to repeatedly refuse payment or delivery.
Osaka resident Mayu Yoshida was arrested in August on suspicion of fraudulent business obstruction. The Tokyo Police allege she targeted Shueisha Inc.'s online store for manga merchandise between July 2024 and May 2025, using 238 accounts to place thousands of orders for popular series like One Piece and Naruto. Investigators found Yoshida abandoned these purchases through two methods: allowing payment deadlines to expire, causing automatic cancellations, or placing cash-on-delivery orders, opening the packages, and returning them unpaid.
Shueisha reported the fake orders caused artificial shortages, leading to temporary stockouts and direct financial losses of about 7.5 million yen ($48,000) due to wasted delivery fees and warehouse storage costs. Yoshida admitted to the allegations during questioning, stating she had no personal dispute with the company and used the spree as a coping mechanism for daily stress, finding excitement in the cycle of placing and canceling orders.
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