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World of the Bizarre

Man uses eidetic memory to steal credit cards

By T.K. Randall
September 10, 2019 · Comment icon 8 comments

With great power comes great responsibility... Image Credit: PD - TheDigitalWay
A Japanese clerk memorized the credit card details of 1,300 customers using his photographic memory.
If you were gifted with the ability to accurately recall even the smallest details of anything you looked at even months or years later, what would you do with it ?

In the case of 34-year-old part-time cashier Yusuke Taniguchi from Koto City, Japan, having such a remarkable memory proved particularly useful for stealing other people's credit card details.

In a feat of memorization that would be highly impressive if it wasn't also totally unethical, Taniguchi successfully recalled the full payment details of 1,300 customers.
His insane memory had essentially enabled him to make purchases using the card details of anyone he happened to have served during his job without having to lay one finger on the actual cards.

He was caught after buying items using these details and then selling them at a pawn shop.

It just goes to show that you don't need to have your card physically stolen for someone to use it.

The chances of encountering someone with a memory like Taniguchi's however are very slim indeed.

Source: Gizmodo | Comments (8)




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Recent comments on this story
Comment icon #1 Posted by and then 5 years ago
Imagine being blessed with an ability that would allow most people to excel beyond imagining in the academic realm and using it for such low purposes.  I hope the guy gets his integrity and honor back on track.  What a waste.
Comment icon #2 Posted by Iilaa'mpuul'xem 5 years ago
@Piney Could do this, he remembers everything and every detail. 
Comment icon #3 Posted by Farmer77 5 years ago
God I forget  what I was doing when I walk from my office to the kitchen.
Comment icon #4 Posted by Piney 5 years ago
Which is why I made the best company intellgence officer-scout ever. 
Comment icon #5 Posted by Iilaa'mpuul'xem 5 years ago
We had some fun times and some scary moments.... Ohhh to be young again Bro.
Comment icon #6 Posted by acute 5 years ago
As he's Japanese, I expect he will redeem himself with the ancient art of Seppuku.
Comment icon #7 Posted by capeo 5 years ago
There’s nothing about eidetic memory that would make you excel at anything because it only, rarely, exists in children. He’s either using mnemonic strategies or he’s a form of calendrical savant. If it’s the former, then he’s likely of average intelligence. If it’s the latter then he’s well below average intelligence. 
Comment icon #8 Posted by and then 5 years ago
You've made me curious so I'll look into it further.  I was under the impression it was a permanent ability.  It's been my experience that in academics, the ability to retrieve information was critical.  My memory is keyed more to recognition and context than to recall.  


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