Japanese Swindler DJ Pulls a Bernie Madoff, Gets Arrested
Jul 12th, 2009 | By admin | Category: Big Shot Magazine
Taking a page from convicted swindler Bernie Madoff’s playbook (bad move!), a Japanese DJ has been arrested for allegedly swindling a construction worker from Wakayama prefecture. The DJ employed a Furikome scam where a confidence man tricks or pressures an unsuspecting victim into sending money. In this case, the victim was pressured to send money on three occasions in order to end a membership on a Web site. Police have arrested Shunsuke Sashinami, 28, a.k.a. DJ Sashinami, on suspicion of fraud and extorting the 32-year-old worker out of $1.1 million yen (US $11,900). Six other associates were also arrested on suspicion of fraud and police suspect that they are responsible for around 200 scam cases across Japan worth about 50 million yen (US $542,100) in total between August 2007 and April 2008.
“I couldn’t make a living just doing DJ work because it’s a job that doesn’t pay,” Sashinami reportedly told investigators.
The Tokyo-based DJ said he was introduced to the scam by a man he had met at a club. Sashinami has reportedly confessed to his crimes. Japan’s legal system is notoriously strict, so could a 150-year prison sentence be in DJ Sashinami’s future?
