Japan is sending a ‘sugar baby’ to prison for 9 years . . . for defrauding men out of $1 Million

A 25-year-old “sugar baby” was handed a nine-year prison sentence for defrauding men she met on dating apps out of more than $1 million, and selling a manual on how to carry out similar scams.

Mai Watanabe, also known as “itadaki joshi Riri-chan,” which translates as “sugar baby Riri,” was sentenced by the Nagoya District Court on Monday, The Japan Times reported.

The news outlet said that Watanabe was also fined 8 million yen, about $52,000.

According to the court’s ruling, Watanabe defrauded three men in their 50s out of a total of around 55.8 million yen, about $1 million, between 2021 and 2023, the Nippon news agency reported.

She swindled one victim out of 117 million yen, about $756,000, by convincing him that she needed the money to pay off a debt, according to the Kyodo news agency, which added that she used a similar story to defraud the other two men.

Nippon reported that Watanabe used most of the money to make payments at male host clubs in Tokyo’s Kabukichō district.

In these clubs, female customers pay for male company and are often poured drinks and flirted with by male hosts.

Kyodo, citing the court’s ruling, said that Watanabe was also convicted of creating a manual on how to execute similar scams.

▲ Mai Watanabe, also known as “itadaki joshi Riri-chan,” which translates as “sugar baby Riri,” was sentenced by the Nagoya District Court on Monday, The Japan Times reported.