A cashier in Tokyo, Japan, allegedly stole hundreds of credit card numbers and other information by memorizing them, according to the police.
Yusuke Taniguchi, 34, was arrested for stealing credit card details from about 1,300 customers at a mall in Koto City when they were making payments. He later used them to make purchases online.
In the few seconds it would take for customers to swipe their credit cards when paying for purchases, Taniguchi was able to use his photographic memory to memorize their 16-digit number, name, expiry date, and security code, according to GizModo.
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He was discovered after he bought $2,600 worth of bags from online shopping sites in March, according to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police.
He shipped his online purchases directly to his home address and that is how he was eventually arrested.
Police also found a notebook with card details listed in it.
There’s some debate over whether or not Taniguchi has a photographic memory, which allows details to be accurately recalled months after they’re observed, or an eidetic memory, which allows them to be accurately recalled for a few minutes afterward, given that he kept a physical notebook.
Scientists have not found evidence of photographic memories, but there are people with very good memories who can recall information in astounding detail – an eidetic memory – according to Daniel Burns, a professor of psychology at Union College in New York.
