Yoşida Mayu arrested for $27 million manga fraud in Japan

Tokyo Metropolitan Police arrested 32‑year‑old restaurant worker Yoşida Mayu after investigators determined she placed more than 2,100 orders on Shueisha Inc.'s online manga shop between July 2024 and May 2025. Using 238 different accounts, she ordered titles from the "One Piece" and "Naruto" series, selected cash‑on‑delivery, let the payment period lapse and then cancelled the orders, sometimes refusing the delivered packages.

The cancelled orders were valued at roughly ¥4.3 billion (about US$27.2 million). Shueisha reported significant financial damage, including temporary stock shortages, lost sales opportunities and payments to delivery firms that could not be recovered. Yoşida told police the scheme was driven by personal stress and her love of anime. She has been charged with "obstructing commercial business by fraud" and detained pending trial.