An Osaka restaurant worker, Mayu Yoshida, was arrested Aug. 4 on suspicion of flooding Shueisha’s Jump Character Store with fake orders totaling about ¥4.3 billion (~$27M) over roughly two years beginning in October 2023. Prosecutors say she placed more than 2,000 unpaid convenience-store prepayment orders and over 2,100 refused cash-on-delivery shipments, using 238 accounts and sometimes fictitious addresses. Shueisha estimates about ¥7.5M (~$47K) in unrecoverable shipping and return fees and reported temporary stock shortages that affected paying customers. Yoshida admitted the actions, saying ordering limited items eased her stress.
Osaka Worker Arrested After Allegedly Placing ¥4.3 Billion (~$27M) in Fake Anime Merch Orders
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A 32-year-old restaurant worker from Osaka, Mayu Yoshida, was arrested on Aug. 4 on suspicion of fraudulent obstruction of business after allegedly placing thousands of bogus orders at the official Jump Character Store run by manga publisher Shueisha, police said.
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Police Allegations and Timeline
Investigators say Yoshida flooded the store with fake orders totaling roughly ¥4.3 billion (about $27 million) over an approximately two-year period beginning around October 2023. Shueisha detected a pattern of suspicious orders and filed a complaint with police in June 2025, which authorities say was more than a year before the August arrest.
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How the Scheme Worked
According to police, Yoshida used multiple tactics to trigger order processing and delivery costs without paying for merchandise. Japan's e-commerce system allows customers to select convenience-store prepayment, place orders and then not complete the payment; those unpaid orders can simply expire and be canceled while still imposing handling costs. Prosecutors say Yoshida placed more than 2,000 such unpaid prepayment orders.
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She is also accused of creating over 2,100 cash-on-delivery (COD) orders and then refusing to accept the packages at the door, which under Japanese law generally leaves sellers responsible for return-shipping fees. In some cases she allegedly provided fictitious addresses to make delivery impossible. To avoid detection she reportedly registered 238 separate customer accounts.
Financial And Operational Impact
Shueisha estimated it absorbed about ¥7.5 million (roughly $47,000) in unrecoverable shipping and return fees in addition to restocking and order-processing costs. Beyond direct losses, the torrent of fake orders reportedly caused temporary stock shortages, preventing legitimate customers from purchasing limited items and placing extra strain on logistics and customer-service operations.
Admission And Motive
Yoshida had been a legitimate paying customer of the Jump Character Store since the fall of 2018, police said. After her arrest she admitted to the alleged scheme, telling investigators that ordering limited items before they sold out gave her a sense of relief and satisfaction. "I felt a sense of satisfaction and refreshment from ordering items before they sold out," she said. "I generally like anime. Ordering the products gave me a sense of satisfying my desires," she added, also stating she had no resentment toward Shueisha.
Next Steps
Authorities have charged Yoshida with fraudulent obstruction of business and the case is under investigation. Shueisha and law enforcement are reviewing the incident to determine the full financial and operational impact and to identify safeguards against similar abuse of e-commerce systems.
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