Former Executive Accused Of Selling Data From Matchmaking Firm

A former executive of a matchmaking service firm in Japan is accused of stealing the personal data of about 16,000 registrants and attempting to sell it to other matchmaking firms.

According to a news report by Yomiuri Shimbun, the Chiba-based matchmaking firm, Web In Chiba Prefecture, is planning to lodge a criminal complaint over theft and other crimes against the 49-year-old former board member, who allegedly removed the information before he quit the firm in August 2006.

According to the firm, the former board member allegedly stole the membership information of about 11,000 men and 5,000 women in Tokyo and 21 prefectures -- including their addresses, names, dates of birth, and phone numbers -- with the aim of selling it.

The stolen data dates from 2005, when all of the firm's staff had access to the data, the report says.

The former board member, who was not named, reportedly asked the matchmaking service to buy back the data he had stolen. After the firm rejected his proposal, other matchmaking service firms began receiving email in which the man allegedly offered to sell them the information.

Upon learning of the former executive's efforts, the company contacted the Chiba prefectural police, the report says.

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