OSAKA -- A 52-year-old con man here who falsely claimed he was a veterinarian apparently met some 50 women trying to make money as "sugar babies" and swindled money from several of them before his arrest on suspicion of fraud.

The man was arrested for allegedly swindling multiple women he met via the internet after telling them, "I'm a vet at zoos." His targets were women who were looking for a sugar daddy in Osaka's Shinsekai district to receive money in return for a date. The victims were shocked when the man's true identity as a day laborer was revealed.

A woman in her 50s living in Hyogo Prefecture met the man for the first time in February 2023 after they connected through a matching app. He apparently told her, "If you meet me, I will give you 200,000 yen (about $1,300)." She had signed up for the app because she wanted someone to talk to, but she accepted the man's cleverly worded invitation.

What attracted her most was the man's occupation. He said that he worked as a veterinarian at Osaka Tennoji Zoo and Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan, both tourist attractions. Thinking they might be a good match because she has a dog herself, she began communicating with him via a free messaging app. The meeting place was Dobutsuen-mae Station in Osaka's Nishinari Ward, near the zoo and the Shinsekai district, on Osaka Metro's Midosuji Line.

A pleasant-mannered middle-aged man dressed casually showed up. While strolling around Osaka Tennoji Zoo, he said, "I work here," seeming to be proud. After a while, he said, "Many people around here know me. Let's move to a different place." Then he took her to a nearby hotel.

The man, who introduced himself as "Matsumoto," kept talking about his family and his hobby of watching boxing. After about two hours, with a serious look on his face, the man suddenly asked her, "I'd like to go see a boxing match. Can you lend me 20,000 yen ($130) for the ticket?"

He told the woman that he had left his wallet in a safe at the zoo. Believing the man's words that he would transfer the money to her account later, she withdrew 20,000 yen at a convenience store ATM and handed him the cash.

They parted ways after she was told that he would be in touch, but she lost contact with him immediately after. The money, which was supposed to be transferred that day, was also not remitted.

When the woman contacted the zoo, she was told, "There is no such person here. We have received other similar calls." She immediately filed a damage report at a police station. In an interview with the Mainichi Shimbun, she said of her feelings at the time, "Everything the man told me was specific, and I didn't suspect a thing."

About six months later the man was arrested on suspicion of fraud. He had repeatedly used similar tactics for about three years, swindling eight women out of about 200,000 yen in total. He stated, "I thought the women would not file a damage report because they felt guilty about sugar dating."

During his trial that began in November 2023, it was revealed that the man had been earning a living by doing day labor and staying at a cheap lodging house in Nishinari, a workers' district near Dobutsuen-mae Station. His monthly income was about 150,000 yen ($970), and he apparently sometimes reduced his work when he received "extra income" from the women. Regarding his motive, he said that he had wanted to lead "a more comfortable life."

The Mainichi Shimbun regularly interviewed him at the Osaka Detention House in person and through letters. He explained that he had met with approximately 50 women who approached him with the intention of sugar dating while using about five different aliases.

He apparently claimed to be a vet because he thought he would make a good impression on women and appear to have a high income. He told the Mainichi, "I have always disliked animals."

As to why women were easily fooled, he said, "All I had to do was go on dates and talk, and strangely enough, they believed me. I think the women were not interested in who I was as long as they got money."

In March, the Osaka District Court sentenced the man to two years and six months in prison, suspended for four years. Upon hearing the ruling, the woman grumbled in disgust, "I was blinded by the sweet talk from the man and believed it. I think I was really stupid."

(Japanese original by Yukina Furukawa and Shunsuke Takara, Osaka City News Department)