Police Say Tokyo Cashier Used Only His Memory to Steal 1,300 Customers’ Credit Card Info

A person who worked as a cashier in Tokyo was arrested earlier this month for allegedly stealing credit card information using solely what authorities have characterized as his “photographic memory” abilities.

A CNN report from Tuesday on this memory master’s alleged activities said that the part-time mall store employee had successfully obtained the credit card info of an estimated 1,300 people. He had memorized the info while processing customers’ orders at work, then used that info to procure items for himself online.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Police noted the man’s “photographic memory” abilities and also discovered a notebook in which he had compiled credit card info. As for specific purchases he made using that haul, he was arrested last Thursday after allegedly spending an estimated $2,600 on bags online.

The investigation remains ongoing, with the suspect—identified in a separate report from Sora News 24 as 34-year-old Yusuke Taniguchi—still in custody. Per that report, the delivery of those aforementioned bags was complemented by the suspect’s explanation that he would be selling the items to a pawn shop, constituting a pretty tall profit margin.

In related Japan-based credit card theft news worthy of a smattering of vaguely similar headlines, and one worth mentioning here to inch me closer to my word count requirement, CNN notes that multi-person act back in 2016 ultimately bagged a temporary $13 million for the culprits. 

1,600 forged cards were used in the organized 2016 theft to withdraw money from 1,400 cash machines across Japan. The individuals, however, are not said to have utilized photographic memory or anything of the sort.