By KOHEI UWABO/ Staff Writer
July 30, 2024 at 17:52 JST
A woman who was deceived by a man claiming to be a volunteer soldier in Ukraine reviews their direct message exchanges. Part of the image is modified to protect her privacy. (Kohei Uwabo)
SAPPORO--A Japanese man claiming to be a volunteer medic in Ukraine in dire need of food and supplies of tranquilizers was actually an unemployed resident of this Hokkaido city looking for handouts online.
The Sapporo District Public Prosecutors Office indicted 25-year-old Ukyo Tamura for fraud on July 25.
Prosecutors have not revealed whether he has admitted to wrongdoing.
According to the indictment, Tamura falsely claimed to be a volunteer soldier in Ukraine to defraud two people in their 40s into sending seven boxes of tranquilizers worth about 11,000 yen ($71) to an address in Sapporo in December 2022.
One of the victims, a woman from Chiba Prefecture close to Tokyo, spoke to The Asahi Shimbun in March this year.
She said she met the man through audio live streaming on Twitter (now X) in December 2022.
According to her, Tamura said, “I used to be in the Self-Defense Forces and am now a volunteer soldier in Ukraine.”
On one occasion, he said: “I’m a medic. Now, I’m in a hospital, and a Ukraine boy has just been brought in.”
She said he was seeking tranquilizers and food supplies.
The woman contacted the man via direct messaging and was given an address in Minami Ward, Sapporo, which he claimed belonged to someone working under him.
She then sent tranquilizers and food to that address.
The woman, who has a strong interest in human rights issues, said, “I felt guilty just watching the news about Ukraine, so when I heard his story, I wanted to help.”
She received a message of gratitude from the man, in which he said, “I will fight in a way that lives up to your support and will definitely protect Ukraine.”
Later, the woman noticed inconsistencies in the man’s statements and realized she had been deceived. She then filed a report with the police.
“I cannot forgive such deceitful tactics that take advantage of people’s goodwill, especially when there are people risking their lives,” she said.
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